Heracles

“And of our friends, some prove no friends at all,

While those still true are powerless to help.”

These lines, spoken by Amphitryon towards the end of his introductory monologue, introduce the motifs of friendship and strength, whose intersection is explored throughout the play. A friend who is strong but does not provide aid in times of crisis is not a true friend, but a friend who is too weak to help in times of crisis—like the Chorus—is not enough either. As the play continues, the powerlessness of well-meaning but weak characters such as the Chorus and Amphitryon himself will be juxtaposed with the strength of Heracles, who in a twist of fate will prove no less destructive than his enemy Lycus.

“Human misery must somewhere have a stop:

There is no wind that always blows a storm;

Great good fortune comes to failure in the end.

All is change; all yields its place and goes;

To persevere, trusting in what hopes he has,

Is courage in a man. The coward despairs.”

Amphitryon advises Megara to cling to hope that Heracles may come back to save them, referring to the vicissitudes inherent in human fortunes (a common theme in ancient Greek literature and thought). All humans must suffer, Amphitryon explains, but good fortune always eventually gives way to bad fortune, and vice versa. This flux is what characterizes human existence, and because human fortunes are always in flux, Amphitryon concludes that the chief component of “courage” is perseverance—that is, enduring the necessary suffering until one’s fortunes improve.