Amphitryon

"Amphitryon" by Molière is a comedic play written in the late 17th century. Drawing on classical myth, it follows Jupiter and Mercury as they assume the identities of the Theban general Amphitryon and his servant Sosias to woo Alcmene, triggering a cascade of mistaken identities, marital suspicion, and questions of honor. The opening of the play stages a celestial prologue: Mercury persuades Night to prolong darkness so Jupiter, disguised as Amphitryon, can enjoy Alcmene’s company while the real general is away at war. Soon after, Mercury, now in Sosias’s form, blocks and beats the real Sosias at the door, denying him his own name in a rapid-fire comic duel of wits. Jupiter, still masquerading as Amphitryon, tenderly parts from Alcmene before dawn. When the real Amphitryon returns, Sosias recounts the baffling encounter with “himself,” and Alcmene insists her husband already came home, even producing a jeweled brooch he supposedly gave her; yet the sealed casket that should hold it is found empty. Stung by contradiction, Amphitryon veers toward jealousy and accusation, while Alcmene, offended, rejects the slight to her honor. Jupiter then reappears to soothe her, shifting blame onto the “husband” role rather than the “lover,” as the tensions of deception and fidelity sharpen at the excerpt’s break.

Summary written by Project Gutenberg, by machine.