Herakles Quotes in Alcestis
HERAKLES: I have a labor to perform. Eurystheus is my master.
He commands, and I obey.
LEADER What is your mission? And where are you bound?
HERAKLES A long, hard journey.
My destination’s Thrace. My orders are to capture
Diomedes’ horses.
LEADER Diomedes’ horses? It can’t be done,
Herakles. Surely you’ve heard of Diomedes?
[…] Those horses are wild. They can’t be broken.
HERAKLES Can’t be broken?
LEADER Not without a fight, they can’t.
HERAKLES Fighting’s what I do.
My labors are my life. I can’t refuse.
CHORUS: Hospitality is here.
What house could be more gracious or more generous
than this? Open-handed, always prodigal and free,
its master gives such lavish welcoming
that one might think his guests were gods.
Great gods have sheltered here.
Here Apollo, god of Delphi, condescending,
came, his high divinity constrained to serve
as shepherd for a year. And down these blessed hills,
to mating flocks the god of music sang the season’s song…
HERAKLES: Lissen:
you hear that wine purling and gurgling in the cup?
Well, a swallow of this will do wonders, friend,
for whatever’s ailing you.
I mean, we all gotta die. Right?
Well, that’s why we all gotta think human thoughts,
and live while we can.
Eat, drink, and be merry.
Take it from me,
the way those gloomy, bellyachin’ tragedians gripe,
life isn’t life at all, it’s just a goddam
funeral.
Herakles Quotes in Alcestis
HERAKLES: I have a labor to perform. Eurystheus is my master.
He commands, and I obey.
LEADER What is your mission? And where are you bound?
HERAKLES A long, hard journey.
My destination’s Thrace. My orders are to capture
Diomedes’ horses.
LEADER Diomedes’ horses? It can’t be done,
Herakles. Surely you’ve heard of Diomedes?
[…] Those horses are wild. They can’t be broken.
HERAKLES Can’t be broken?
LEADER Not without a fight, they can’t.
HERAKLES Fighting’s what I do.
My labors are my life. I can’t refuse.
CHORUS: Hospitality is here.
What house could be more gracious or more generous
than this? Open-handed, always prodigal and free,
its master gives such lavish welcoming
that one might think his guests were gods.
Great gods have sheltered here.
Here Apollo, god of Delphi, condescending,
came, his high divinity constrained to serve
as shepherd for a year. And down these blessed hills,
to mating flocks the god of music sang the season’s song…
HERAKLES: Lissen:
you hear that wine purling and gurgling in the cup?
Well, a swallow of this will do wonders, friend,
for whatever’s ailing you.
I mean, we all gotta die. Right?
Well, that’s why we all gotta think human thoughts,
and live while we can.
Eat, drink, and be merry.
Take it from me,
the way those gloomy, bellyachin’ tragedians gripe,
life isn’t life at all, it’s just a goddam
funeral.
