An intense drama, in some passages lacerating, Aeschylus' “Suppliant Maidens” takes us on a journey where the echo of supplications resonates with the force of pain that only a war can cause. The daughters of Danaus, fugitives seeking asylum, amid the flames of war and the torments of vengeance, oppose the will of gods and men. This is a fresco of existential and moral conflicts, in which the theme of mercy is intertwined with that of justice. The heroines address the citizens of Argos seeking mercy, thus representing a universal cry against the injustice and barbarity of war. Aeschylus invites the audience to reflect on themes of acceptance, freedom and collective responsibility: how far can mercy go in a world where honor and revenge are the unwritten laws?
