5. A Practiced Hand

Abstract

Euripides demonstrates an awareness of the sometimes mundane, sometimes arcane, and at times profound issues and intricacies particular to each individual medium. This final chapter of the book is devoted to the ways in which Euripides was engaged more broadly with the very idea of art and artistry, craft and craftsmanship. Given the extreme likelihood that Euripides views reflect and respond to the views of his time period, the process of gleaning his extant works holds out the reward of nuggets of invaluable primary evidence for contemporary perceptions of the artist, the production of the artifact, and the creative act, itself. It analyzes his language for demonstration which is metaphorical or at least figurative in nature. However, because these words turn up in Euripides, they merit notice in the chapter. A quick review of the more prominent examples, mostly verbs, which arguably still preserve a craft-based undertone, illustrates the point.Keywords: artistry; craftsmanship; Euripides