Alcestis

Alcestis is Euripides' drama in which Admetus escapes death because his wife agrees to take his place. Her loss exposes the cost of the bargain and provokes conflict over what relatives owe one another. When Heracles arrives, Admetus attempts to maintain hospitality despite his grief, setting in motion the possibility of Alcestis's return. The play moves between mourning and moments of comic disruption without removing the uneasiness of its central exchange. Its restoration of the household leaves the audience to consider whether affection is adequately measured by what one person is prepared to sacrifice for another.