Suppliant Maidens
(Aeschylus)
The Suppliant Maidens is part of a trilogy whose second and third parts are lost. The fifty daughters of Danaus are being pressurized by their Egyptian cousins for marriage, and thus escape to the land of their ancestor Io of Argos. Upon reaching a sacred grove near Argos, they meet Pelasgus, the King of Argos who asks the sisters' about their rights as far as marriage was concerned, but they only declare their hatred of their cousins and evade question of legal claim to his protection. Pelasgus does not allow them sanctuary till the populace seconds his request. The people of Argos grant them asylum and as soon as the sisters are given the good news, they receive the news from their father that their Egyptian cousins had landed. Danaus leaves to go get aid. The sisters are then visited by their cousins' herald who wishes to take them back. Pelasgus enters with a herald and an army, threatening war, but he is forced to withdraw. Danaus returns at that point advising all to behave with decorum. The play ends with a song of deliverance. The play is not very exciting in its plot, nor does it have a strong structure. The characters have also not been built upon, as the chorus, which is the protagonist initially, is not so by the end of the play; nor is there any reconciliation between the words and actions of the Daniads. However, the language of the play can be beautiful where the choruses are concerned, but sometimes the dialogues seem artificial and forced. The focus throughout the play seems to be on Divine Law verses Human Law where Divine Law is called upon by invoking gods and goddesses and Human Law is determined by the Egyptians. Over all, this is not a very balanced play.
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