This play was inspired by the greek tragedy "The Trachiniae" also known as "The Women Of Trachis" which was a play written in 490 BCE.
The greek tragedy is about the wife of Heracles, named Deianeira. The story is also about a couple that is separated due to war. When the survivors of Heracles’ attacks are brought to their home, Deianeira discovers that Heracles laid siege to a city to obtain the king’s daughter, whom was now his new lover. She then decides to use a love potion to gain back the love she deserves. Deianeira sends her son to give the potion to Heracles, but her son comes back to tell him that he is now dying because of the potion. Deianeira was shocked and guilty of what she has done to her lover, and ends up killing herself. Heracles comes home weak and about to die, he gets carried to be burned alive as a solution to end his suffering, which is how the story comes to a conclusion.
Martin Crimp uses the same story plot as the beginning of the greek tragedy to build up the plot to its climax. The main characters of the stories Amelia and Deianeira both find out that their lovers were with someone else by the homecoming of the survivors of the attacks.