Setting: Troezen, The Skene represents the palace of Theseus.
Structure and Summary of Hippolytus
Prologue [Lines 1-120]
In the prologue, Aphrodite expresses her hatred for Hippolytus, son of Theseus and the Amazon Hippolyta, who reviles her and honours only the virgin Artemis, forswearing love and marriage. But Aphrodite plans to punish Hippolytus that very day by bringing about his death at Theseus’ hands. Phaedra, Theseus’ young wife, exiled from Athens with her husband and Hippolytus, is sick with unfulfilled love for her stepson and has even dedicated a shrine to that love. Since Theseus is absent from Troezen, expiating his killing of the Pallantides, Aphrodite’s plans have scope to mature.
As Aphrodite disappears, Hippolytus enters with his huntsmen, singing the praises of Artemis. On the altar of the virgin goddess he lays a garland culled from the virgin countryside and vows lifelong devotion. An old Servant suggests that Hippolytus perform some corresponding act of reverence at Aphrodite’s altar, observing that honor is due to all the gods. Hippolytus, remarking that a deity worshipped in the night does not please him, passes Aphrodite’s altar by as he leaves.
Parodos [Lines 121-169]
The Chorus of Troezenian Women sing of Phaedra’s apparent illness and at her refusal to accept food.
First Episode [Lines 170-524]
Phaedra herself is brought in on a couch, accompanied by her old Nurse, who urges her to disclose the source of her affliction. Phaedra seems to be raving as she speaks of her longing to join the hunters in their mountain woodlands. Suddenly realizing the implication of her words, she asks that her face be covered to hide her shame and states her desire to end her sufferings by death. The Nurse continues to question her mistress, pointing out that if she dies, her orphaned children may be deprived of their birthright by the bastard Hippolytus. At this name Phaedra starts violently and permits the Nurse to elicit from her the secret of her incestuous love for the young man. When the Nurse and the Chorus recoil in horror from her confession, Phaedra explains that human beings sometimes go astray even though they know the right. Since she is unable to stifle her passion for Hippolytus, aidos (shame, modesty, respectability) has made her choose to kill her guilty self lest she dishonour her husband and children, like the secret adulteresses she so despises. Shocked at this determination, the Nurse makes light of Phaedra’s woes and advises her to yield to divinely ordained fate, offering to cure her ailment with magic love charms. Even as Phaedra admits the wickedness of the Nurse’s plans, she allows herself to be convinced.
First Stasimon [Lines 525-64]
The Chorus reflects on the destructive power of desire.
Second Episode [Lines 565-731]
Shortly afterward Phaedra hears Hippolytus berating a servant for betraying her mistress and immediately realizes that the Nurse has revealed to him the story of her love. While Phaedra listens unnoticed, Hippolytus delivers a diatribe against all women. expressing his wonder that Zeus has devised so poor a means of reproduction. He is especially rancorous toward the clever ones who upbraid their servants' aid in carrying out their lustful schemes. He has given the Muse his “word not to divulge her propositions, but he leaves to join Theseus so as to return with him and witness Phaedra’s behaviour when she welcomes her husband home. Rejected and despairing, Phaedra angrily upbraids the Nurse for violating her trust and, bent on suicide, meditates on how she may still save her reputation.
Second Stasimon [Lines 732-775]
This choral ode is about Phaedra's wish to escape her loveless marriage, her desire to be elsewhere. It forbodes her suicide.
Third Episode [Lines 776-1101]
On returning from his journey, Theseus is greeted by the wailing of the women, who have just discovered the queen and how she has hanged herself. On her body Theseus finds a tablet in her hand accusing Hippolytus of having raped her. Invoking one of the three curses granted to him by Poseidon, Theseus prays for Hippolytus’ death. Hippolytus reacts to his father’s wrathful accusations by protesting his innocence but, because he has sworn not to betray the Nurse’s confidence, does not tell Theseus the full truth. Theseus, taking his son’s protestations for hypocrisy, pronounces sentence of banishment on him. In spite of Hippolytus trying to defend himself, Theseus refuses to listen to him. Hippolytus exits.
Third Stasimon [Lines 1102-50]
The ode is a lament for Hippolytus' banishment. Girls vye for his bed. It suggests it is a song about marriage.
Fourth Episode (Lines 1151-1267)
A Messenger enters reporting that the Hippolytus has been fatally injured in an accident: as he drove his chariot along the beach, a thundering came from the ground and a huge wave towered out of Poseidon’s sea [tsunami?]. On the top of the wave a monstrous bull drew near the land. The team of horses pulling the chariot was thrown into a panic at this so much so that the car was overturned, and Hippolytus, having become tangled in the reins, was hauled over the rocks.
Fourth Stasimon (Lines 1268-1282)
The Chorus sing to Aphrodite [The goddess of Love], in awe of her omnipotence.
Exodos [Epilogue] (Lines 1283-1466)
Artemis [Diana] now appears before Theseus, reproaching him for his hasty and ill-considered action. She tells him of Phaedra’s passion for Hippolytus and how he had behaved nobily by refusing to break his vow of silence. The dying Hippolytus is brought on stage. Artemis promises to avenge him saying she will harm the next mortal to be loved by Aphrodite. Troezenian maidens will from henceforth sacrifice their hair to Hippolytus before marriage and the legend of he and Phaedra will become the theme of songs. Artemis exits so that her eyes do not become polluted by death, Theseus and Hippolytus are left to make their tearful reconciliation. Hippolytus dies.
References
Hippolytus (son of Theseus) - Wikipedia
Theseus - Wikipedia
Pallantides - Wikipedia
Hippolytus (play) - Wikipedia
Phaedra (mythology) - Wikipedia
Troezen - Wikipedia
Aidos - Wikipedia
Euripides: Hippolytus (Ἱππόλυτος) - - Major Reference Works - Wiley Online Library
Gale, Cengage Learning (2016). A Study Guide for Euripides's "Hippolytus". Gale, Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-4103-4808-1.
Hippolytus - Euripides - Ancient Greece - Classical Literature
Hippolytus Summary - GradeSaver
Structure of Tragedy
The Agonistic Element in Euripides’s Hippolytus
Eleni Kornarou pp. 157-170 (16 pages)
DOI 10.2307/j.ctv15tt78p.14
Stable URL https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv15tt78p.14
The Interpretation of the Hippolytus of Euripides
David Grene
Classical Philology Vol. 34, No. 1 (Jan., 1939), pp. 45-58 (14 pages)
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/264068
Shame and Purity in Euripides' Hippolytus
Charles Segal
Hermes 98. Bd., H. 3 (1970), pp. 278-299 (22 pages)
Published by: Franz Steiner Verlag
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4475644
Mason, H. A. "Key-words in Euripides' "Hippolytus"." The Cambridge Quarterly 8, no. 3 (1979): 197-203. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42965286.
Hathorn, Richmond Y. "Rationalism and Irrationalism in Euripides' Hippolytus." The Classical Journal 52, no. 5 (1957): 211-18. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3295197.
Euripides' Other "Hippolytus"G. O. Hutchinson
Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik
Bd. 149 (2004), pp. 15-28 (14 pages)
Published by: Dr. Rudolf Habelt GmbH
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20191880
Greek Versions
Teubner - Euripides - Hippolytus
Euripides, Hippolytus - Perseus Digital Library
Translations
Hippolytus. Translated into English rhyming verse with explanatory notes by Gilbert Murray : Euripides - Internet Archive
Euripides; Diane Arnson Svarlien (9 March 2007). Alcestis, Medea, Hippolytus. Hackett Publishing. pp. 121–. ISBN 1-60384-355-8.
Euripides (1998). Medea and Other Plays. Oxford University Press. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-0-19-282442-4.
Euripides (27 March 2003). Medea and Other Plays. Hippolytus: Penguin Books Limited. pp. 237–. ISBN 978-0-14-192056-6.
Euripides, Hippolytus - Perseus Digital Library
Hippolytus and the Bacchae, by Euripides - Project Gutenberg [Gilbert Murray translation]
The Project Gutenberg eBook of the Tragedies of Euripides, Volume I.
Greek tragedies (1968 edition) Volume I - David Grene | Open Library
Euripides (15 December 2009). The Complete Euripides: Volume III: Hippolytos and Other Plays. Hippolytos: Oxford University Press. pp. 17–. ISBN 978-0-19-984098-4.
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