Editorial note (July 9, 2026). This post was written about ten days earlier and had already been scheduled for publication before the news of Bonnie Tyler’s death. I have chosen to publish it unchanged. What began as a reflection on Euripides’ Alcestis has now also become, unintentionally, a tribute to the unforgettable voice behind songs such as Holding Out for a Hero and Total Eclipse of the Heart. Today, needless to say, we all wish we could be Heracles and wrest Bonnie back from the grip of cruel Thanatos.
May Euripides forgive me, but at certain points in his tragedy Alcestis, the lyrics of a rather famous rock song feel incredibly fitting:
Continue reading “Alcestis & Bonnie Tyler: Holding Out for a Hero”