Page 19 - GALIET EURIPIDES´MACARIA´S GIFTS: The Angel IV

Galiet & Galiet
not useless; instead she uses it as a means not to hurt or blame others, not even to show anger at the gods, but to save others by acting in the interest of the greatest good. In Danae11, a similar perspective as to female manipulation: “if there were a prize for trickery, we would rule over men” (Eur. Danae fr. 321). Ironically, because Macaria does not manipulate, she ends up ruling over, stealing, the heart of Iolaus, of Demophon and of the audience.
Noteworthy is the fact that she speaks seven times. After three, in ancient civilizations, seven is the most sacred of numbers. It is said that this number originates12 in the division of the 28-day lunar month into four weeks or into the seven planets. Each planet is thus associated with days of the week forming a seven-pointed star reminding us of the seven stars around the eye of God, the emblem of the German mystic Jakob Bohme. Macaria’s speech, in a meaningful and intense way, is as sacred as her actions. In a minor way, in her speech she lets go of life just as Demeter lets go of Persephone, though only for a third of time, after she ate the pomegranate seed at Hades.
Euripides has created ambrosia, the noblest female character in tragedy, ‘truly blessed’ Macaria, an Angel. Macaria is like spring, spring of flowers and of water13 found in Marathon, a fountain, where the thirsty might forever drink her nectar, forever be satiated and not suffer Tantalus’ perpetual thirst and hunger, instead, rejoice in the infinite crystalline tear of her essence.
Virgin Macaria
3⁄4 a soul that makes a heaven of hell 3⁄4
11 Page, D.L. Greek Literary Papyri, London. 1942. Euripides, Las 19 Tragedias. Angel Maria Garibay. Editorial Porrua, Mexico.
12 Biedermann, Hans. Dictionary of Symbolism. Trans. James Hulbert. New York: A Meridian Book, Penguin Group, 1994.
13 Pausanias 1.32.6. Pausanias. Description of Greece. Loeb Classical Library. Trans. W.H.S. Jones & H.A. Ormerod. London, Harvard University Press, 2006.
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