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Euripides' tragedy of "Hippolytus":
Phaedra as a plaything of the gods
Euripides' tragedy of "Hippolytus" is a tragedy of paganism, at least on its surface. The work details the conflict between Hippolytus, the noble son of Theseus who honors the goddess of chastity and the hunt Artemis and his new stepmother Phaedra, who honors Aphrodite above all other goddesses. When Phaedra falls in love with Hippolytus he is repulsed not simply because of the incestuous nature of Phaedra's love but because it dishonors the principles of chastity embodied by his excessive worship of Artemis. The conflict between the two goddesses, translated into human terms, ultimately results in death and destruction for both Hippolytus and Artemis and the misery of Theseus, the father of Hippolytus and the husband of Phaedra. However, there is also a higher symbolic order beyond that a personal conflict between the gods that is being violated, one which gives the play a cosmological significance beyond that of the purely personal variety: the natural order and balance of things is being violated thanks to Hippolytus' excessive reverence for Artemis which results in Phaedra being used as a helpless tool of revenge for the wrath of Aphrodite.
Human beings are playthings of the gods in Greek mythology,...
Although on the surface it may seem to be a play about passion, in its own way the tragedy of Hippolytus is just as much a tragedy of fate as is the classic tale of Oedipus Rex. Additionally, the person who actually suffers the most as a result of the tragedy is Theseus, who is effectively tricked by Aphrodite into killing his own son by bringing down the wrath of Poseidon on Hippolytus' head. Phaedra functions more as an instrument of Aphrodite's will than as an actual independent moral actor, capable of making good and bad decisions. Her affection is entirely generated by Aphrodite's will.
This is communicated at the beginning of the play when Aphrodite is depicted as being angry at Theseus' stepson because of his fixation upon Artemis and his sworn chastity. Aphrodite, rather than Phaedra drives the plot. Aphrodite believes that Hippolytus does not give sufficient reference to all the gods and goddesses, only to one, thus he is to be condemned. Phaedra is, in fact, sickened by her passion. Phaedra knows it is wrong, but she cannot help herself. The framing of the tale makes it clear that Aphrodite has caused Phaedra to fall in love with Hippolytus. Phaedra's actions…
Like in Euripides, Hippolyte does not desire Phaedra, but he is capable of desire, and like all of Racine's characters, even though love can feel like an uncontrollable force, humans are not merely manipulated by the gods -- they must bear the consequences of their actions as souls in this Christian understanding of the myth. Phaedra's language, although the play is set in ancient times, is explicitly Christian, as
Jean Racine's Phaedra is an example of French neoclassical tragedy, which means that it observes certain formal rules of construction. For a start, Racine uses a classical model: in this case, it is the Athenian tragedy Hippolytus, by Euripides, whose basic plot is adapted by Racine. But the larger compositional procedure in neoclassical tragedy involves what is termed "observing the unities." This is a rule from Aristotle's Poetics, the
Love Got to Do With it: A Critical Analysis of Hippolytus and Lysistrata. If one reads Hippolytus and Lysistrata, one may immediately conclude that love has 'nothing' to do with anything. Many Greek plays discuss the subject of love in obtuse ways. Love is often the driving force of Greek tragedies, thought to inspire, incite and even enrage in many cases. While love is an important concept and theme, it
In "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus," we have a similar lesson regarding knowledge. Icarus, much like Phaeton, does not follow his father's advice. In the air, he is distracted by everything happening below and before long "left his father, / Soared higher, higher, drawn to the vast heaven,/nearer the sun" (188). His mistake is deadly for no one can rescue him from up above. This story is importantbecause it
Gradually the Greek hero recognizes (peripeteia) that his visitors are the hated Greeks who once abandoned him, in disguise. Philoctetes denounces the foul plot and demands back his bow, realizing once again he is alone in the world. (anagnorisis) In Euripides, "Hippolytus," pity and fear (pathos) is evoked by Phaedra's unbridled passion for her stepson Hippolytus. The recognition element of the drama (peripeteia) comes when both Phaedra and Hippolytus see
Women of Ancient Greece: The Plays of Euripides The plays of Euripides reveal how poorly women were viewed in ancient Greece. From Medea to Sthenoboea to Phaedra, Euripides' women cover a wide range of forms: the vengeful, jilted lover; the plotting wife; the incestuous, lustful mother. As Chong-Gossard points out, Euripides does not shy away from "tapping into men's anxieties and frightening them with Medeas and Phaedras...women keeping silent about their