Essay Questions

Why does Megora decide to dress her children for execution?

Lykos has decided to bring in logs to set fire to Zeus' temple in order to burn Megora and her children and Amphitryon alive. However, Megora believes this kind of death is one of a coward and she will not accept this. Thus, she decides to dress her sons for their execution as she demands they die as heroically as possible, just as their father Heracles would.

Why doesn't the Chorus step in and help Amphitryon, Megora and her sons?

The Chorus consists of Old Men of Thebes all of whom have the will to stop Lykos; they yell to the audience to stop Lykos, as a foreigner cannot be allowed to take over Thebes. Nonetheless, the Old Men only have the will, and not the physical strength to do anything to stop Lykos.

Also, the function of the Chorus in Greek Theatre is to comment on what the action of the play and on the emotions that the characters are unable to express. So, while they are present within the reality of the play, they do not intercede to cause an outcome in either direction for the sake of the characters.

Why does Heracles kill his sons and wife?

Heracles has returned to Thebes after completing his final labour in Hades. He does so in time to save his family and kill Lykos. But, the goddess Iris arrives on behalf of Zeus' wife Hera in order to cause Heracles to go mad and kill his entire family in a fit of rage while under Iris' spell. Hera's hatred for Heracles relates to the fact that her husband Zeus, the king of the gods slept with a mortal woman who then gave birth to Heracles. Thus Hera seeks to destroy Heracles in any way possible.