The Agon in Euripides

This book is a study of the agon, or formal debate, in Euripides' tragedies. In these scenes, two characters confront each other, sometimes before an arbitrator or judge, and make long speeches as if they were opponents in a lawcourt. An agon is to be found in most of Euripides' extant plays, and is often of crucial importance in representing the central conflict of the play. Many of Euripides' most characteristic features are to be found in these scenes--including rhetorical skill, brilliance in argument, and interest in philosophy. This book offers a general account of the formal debate in Euripides, including a contrast with the agon in Sophocles, and contains an extended discussion of Euripides' relationship to fifth-century rhetorical theory and practice. The main body of the book, however, is devoted to interpretations of the more important agones, giving special attention to their dramatic context and function.