Alcestis

"Alcestis" by Euripides is an Athenian tragedy first produced in 438 BC. When King Admetus is granted the chance to escape death if someone takes his place, his devoted wife Alcestis agrees to die for him. As she approaches her final moments, the god Apollo and Death himself clash over her fate, while the drunken hero Heracles arrives unknowingly at the grieving palace. This ambiguous work blends tragic and comic elements in unexpected ways.

Alcestis, by Euripides. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #10523.