Herakles - A Play in Verse - Archibald MacLeish

Sep 29, 2026

Herakles is a verse drama by Archibald MacLeish that reworks the Greek counter-myth of the hero Herakles. Returning from his earlier exploration in J.B. of Job and human justification, MacLeish places the story in contemporary Greece—an Athens hotel room and a ruined temple. World-famous physicist Professor Hoadley and his wife view the myth differently, as Herakles, elevated to godhood, is revealed to have murdered his own sons.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages114

Reading Time2 h 56 min

AccessFree to download

Dramatic premise and thematic shift

From J.B. to the Herakles counter-myth

Contemporary staging and key settings

Athens hotel room and the ruined temple

ARCHIBALD MACLEISHHERAKLESA Play in Verse 0967 In J.B.,which won the Pulitzer Prize in1959,Archibald MacLeish explored thestory of Job,the myth of man's quarrelwith God,the ancient human cry forjustification of the injustice of the uni-verse.In his new play,his first since J.B.,MacLeish turns to the counter myth,thestory of the Greek hero Herakles,whomasters the evils of the universe andbecomes a god himself only to find thathe has murdered his own sons. As in J.B.,the myth in Herakles becomesa myth not of the fabulous past but ofthe actual present.The scene is contem-porary Greece;a hotel room in Athens;a distant,ruined temple frequented byguides and tourists.To Professor Hoadley,world-famous physicist fresh from hisNobel Prize in Stockholm,heroic Greeceis the spiritual fatherland of the age welive in,an age which has accomplishedin one brief human generation laborsworthy of the greatest hero even the highimagination of the Greeks conceived.ToMrs.Hoadley,who finds herself at thetemple of Apollo with her daughter andher daughter's governess,the story has adifferent meaning.For here among thedrums of fallen marble Herakles plays outhis myth again and Megara,his wife andmother of his children,lives once morethrough the tragedy of man turned god. 812.52MacLeishHeraklesML63h 812.52 MacLeishM163hHerakles GLENDALE COLLEGE LIBRARY1500 N.VERDUGO RDGLENDALE,CA 91208 1 H E R A K L E S HER a play in verse by ARCHIBALD MacLEISH 1967:HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON Copyright 1964,1965,1967 by Archibald MacLeishAll rights reserved including the right toreproduce this book or parts thereof in any formLibrary of Congress Catalog Card Number:66-14763Printed in the United States of America CAUTION:Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned thatHerakles,being fully protected under the copyright laws of theUnited States of America,is subject to royalty.All rights,including professional,amateur,motion picture,television,recitation,public reading,radio broadcasting,and the rightsof translation into foreign languages,are strictly reserved.Allinquiries regarding this play should be addressed to HoughtonMiffin Company,z Park Street,Boston,Massachusetts,o2107 An earlier version of this play directed by Alan Schneiderwith Rosemary Harris as Megara was produced by the Artists'Producing Association in November 1965.

FAQs

What myth does Herakles reinterpret in the play?

It reinterprets the Greek counter-myth centered on Herakles, including his rise to godhood and the revelation that he murdered his own sons.

How is the story framed differently from MacLeish's J.B.?

Like J.B., the myth becomes an image of the present rather than a purely fabulous past, but Herakles turns to Greek heroic material and its modern emotional implications.

Where does the play’s action take place?

The play is set in contemporary Greece, including a hotel room in Athens and a distant ruined temple visited by guides and tourists.

Sep 29, 2026

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