EURIPIDES. Go on.
DIONYSUS. Come, be quick, Aeschylus, continue; and you look out for the faults.
AESCHYLUS. "At the foot of this tomb I invoke my father and beseech him to hearken to me and to hear."
EURIPIDES. Again a repetition, to hearken and to hear are obviously the same thing.
DIONYSUS. Why, wretched man, he's addressing the dead, whom to call thrice even is not sufficient.
AESCHYLUS. And you, how do you form your prologues?
EURIPIDES. I am going to tell you, and if you find a repetition, an idle word or inappropriate, let me be scouted!
DIONYSUS. Come, speak; 'tis my turn to listen. Let us hear the beauty of your prologues,
EURIPIDES. "Oedipus was a fortunate man at first …"
AESCHYLUS. Not at all; he was destined to misfortune before he even existed, since Apollo predicted he would kill his father before ever he was born. How can one say he was fortunate at first?