Sophocles' Women of Trachis  (=Trachiniae)

Bear in mind those themes common to Ajax:  loyalty and betrayal; 
	changing friends and foes; 
	inscrutable plan of gods; 
	crisis of the young man coming of age.


For the following discussion questions, find key passages to illustrate:

1) Analyze the character of Deianíra (or Deiáneira): What are her driving motives? 

2) Lichas at first tries to deceive her. How is he convinced to tell her the worst?

3) How is her spell supposed to work? Why was she willing to take the risk?

4) How was Hyllus (her son) so readily convinced of her guilt?

5) How is Hyllus convinced of her innocence?
	And how does that recognition affect his motivation in confronting Heracles?

6) How does Heracles react to Deianira's doom?

7) What is the meaning of the last line: "Much suffering, ...in new forms, 

			And nothing in this is not Zeus." (Meineck)
	Or..."agonies many and strange and ... nothing that is not Zeus." (Jameson)