Hipolit, de Euripide * Tezeu - regele Atenei * Hipolit - fiul ilegitim al lui Tezeu si al Amazoanei Antiope (sau Hipolita). * Fedra - regina * corul femeilor din palat * doica Fedrei * Afrodita - zeita frumusetii * Artemis - zeita virgina a vanatorii, nasterii si a castitatii Hippolytus is a mortal prince who prefers chastity and hunting to the pursuits under Aphrodite’s purview. He therefore worships Artemis, goddess of the hunt and virginity, to the exclusion of Aphrodite, goddess of love. Furious at this slight, Aphrodite avenges her honor by causing Hippolytus’ stepmother, Phaedra, to fall in love with him. When the horrified Hippolytus rejects Phaedra, she hangs herself out of shame, but not before writing a letter accusing her stepson of raping her. Upon reading the note, Hippolytus’ father, Theseus, curses his son, which leads to Hippolytus’ death. In the last scene, Artemis appears to reveal the truth to Theseus and comfort her dying protégé. Before she vanishes, Artemis promises to avenge Hippolytus’ death by inflicting a comparable punishment on Aphrodite’s next mortal favorite. Theseus Theseus is the king of Athens. He is in Troezen with his wife Phaedra serving a year of voluntary exile for murdering the Pallantids, who are nobles of Attica, the region around Athens. His illegitimate son Hippolytus also lives in Troezen. At the beginning of the play, Theseus is absent, having gone to Delphi to visit the oracle. When he returns to Troezen, he finds that his wife has committed suicide and has implicated Hippolytus. He curses his son, who dies as a result. Theseus plays an important role throughout Greek mythology. Most myths tell that he has two fathers, Poseidon (the god of the sea) and Aigeus (a mortal), both of whom slept with his mother, Aethra. Theseus therefore has both divine and mortal characteristics, much like other Greek heroes. As an adult, he unified the Attica region under the throne of Athens. Like Heracles, he performed a number of heroic feats, as related in several primary sources, including Apollodorus’ Bibliotheke. He is particularly famous today for killing the Minotaur in the labyrinth in Crete. He also plays a role in Sophocles’ work Oedipus at Colonus, one of the plays in the Theban trilogy. Hippolytus Hippolytus is the illegitimate son of Theseus and the Amazon Antiope (alternately Hippolyte). As a child, he was sent to Troezen to be raised by his great-grandfather Pittheus. Theseus hoped that when Pittheus died, Hippolytus would inherit the rule of Troezen while his legitimate children would rule over Athens. Hippolytus worships Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, to the exclusion of the other gods. He is committed to remaining chaste, which angers Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Angry at his refusal to honor her, Aphrodite plots against him, causing his stepmother, Phaedra, to fall in love with him. When he rejects Phaedra’s desire, she commits suicide and accuses him of raping her. When Theseus discovers Phaedra’s accusations, he curses Hippolytus, who dies because of the curse. Phaedra Phaedra is the wife of Theseus and therefore Queen of Athens. She is the daughter of Minos, king of Crete, and came to Athens after Theseus killed the Minotaur. After marrying Theseus, she falls in love with his illegitimate son Hippolytus. Aphrodite causes Phaedra’s desire in order to further her plot to destroy Hippolytus. Phaedra tells her nurse about her passion for her stepson, who then reveals this to Hippolytus. In order to preserve her honor, Phaedra commits suicide by hanging herself, but not before writing a letter accusing Hippolytus of raping her. Most critics (including Aristophanes) agree that Phaedra and not Hippolytus is the principal character in this play. The Chorus of Palace Women The chorus is composed of women who live in Troezen. As is typical in Greek drama, the chorus provides context, continuity, and commentary for those viewing the play. They also provide a more universal perspective on the action. The Nurse The nurse is Phaedra’s confidante, but she reveals her mistress’ illicit desire to Hippolytus, causing Phaedra’s suicide. The Goddess Aphrodite Aphrodite is the goddess of love. In contrast with the typical portrayal of a sensual and benign goddess, Euripides depicts Aphrodite as a terrifying and vengeful goddess with immense power. Though she appears only in the prologue, she is essentially the mastermind of the entire narrative. Infuriated over Hippolytus’ refusal to worship her, she concocts a plot of revenge. Aphrodite causes Phaedra to fall in love with Hippolytus, which ultimately causes his downfall. In the play, Aphrodite also goes by the name “Cypris,” a name that refers to her birthplace on the island of Cyprus. (Different myths, however, posit other locations for her birthplace.) The Goddess Artemis Artemis is the virginal goddess of the hunt, chastity, and childbirth. She is often depicted as a hunter, carrying a bow and arrow. In the play, she is the patron of Hippolytus, who prefers to remain chaste and enjoys hunting. After Aphrodite destroys her favorite, Artemis vows to avenge his death. She appears only in the epilogue to reveal the truth of what has happened over the course of the play. --------------- Sumar scena 1 Hippolytus enters with a chorus of huntsmen. They sing praises to Artemis and show reverence to the goddess’s altar. He has woven a garland with flowers from the goddess’s meadow, which he lays on the altar, and then prays to the goddess. A servant approaches Hippolytus, hoping to offer advice. The servant cautions him against overt disdain for Aphrodite, warning that such disdain will incur the goddess’s wrath while affability will win her favor. Hippolytus refuses to listen, indicating that he prefers to worship Aphrodite from afar since he remains chaste. Hippolytus then goes into the house to eat. After Hippolytus exits, the servant stands alone on the stage before a statue of Aphrodite, praying to the goddess. The servant distances himself from Hippolytus, reinforcing his devotion to the goddess. He then asks her to forgive Hippolytus for his obstinacy. The chorus of palace women enters. In its usual role, the chorus provides commentary on the action of the play. In what often occurs as a conversation between the strophe and antistrophe, the chorus discusses Phaedra’s affliction. The first strophe introduces the chorus’ concern about Phaedra, and the first antistrophe describes Phaedra’s physical state. Bedridden with a fever, she has refused to eat for the past three days. The second strophe and antistrophe both speculate on the cause of Phaedra’s illness. The strophe suggests various divine causes: “Pan’s frenzy” and “Hecate’s madness,” for example. The antistrophe guesses that Theseus has been having an affair with another woman. The epode completes the lyric movement of the chorus and concludes the first scene. The chorus meditates on the unhappiness of the female role in both the home and greater Greek society. They focus in particular on the helplessness and madness associated with childbirth. The women invoke Artemis, who is not only the goddess of the hunt and chastity but also the goddess of childbirth. The scene concludes with the chorus observing the arrival of Phaedra and her nurse. [...] Sumar epilog Artemis enters and demands to speak with Theseus. She berates him for violating the laws of nature by murdering his son. She indicates that he drew the wrong conclusions from the lies in Phaedra’s letter and points to the destruction he caused by believing her accusations. She informs him that for his behavior, he should hide himself under the earth and that he has no place among good men. Artemis explains that she has come to Troezen to prove Hippolytus’ innocence. She then reveals to Theseus the truth of what transpired. She describes Phaedra’s illicit desire and claims that Aphrodite caused Phaedra’s passion for Hippolytus. Despite efforts to overcome this desire, Phaedra becomes a victim to the nurse’s schemes. After the nurse revealed Phaedra’s passion to Hippolytus, the prince refused to break his oath, even as Theseus cursed him. Fearing dishonor, Phaedra lied in her letter and convinced Theseus of Hippolytus’ treachery. Artemis then scolds Theseus for using one of Poseidon’s curses to avenge Phaedra’s death; he should have saved it to use against an enemy. Poseidon granted Theseus’ request out of love for his progeny, but Theseus offended both Poseidon and Artemis by destroying Hippolytus without waiting to determine the truth of what had happened. Artemis goes on to say that despite his sins, Theseus may yet receive pardon because the blame ultimately rests with Aphrodite. Artemis explains that Aphrodite’s attempt to gratify her anger against Hippolytus is the settled way of the gods, and consequently Artemis could not interfere to save Hippolytus. Artemis claims that Theseus’ ignorance absolves him of his role in Hippolytus’ death and that she and Theseus are the ones who have suffered the most from Aphrodite’s schemes. Hippolytus enters, lamenting his fate. Artemis comforts the dying prince and alleviates his suffering with her heavenly presence. She reveals that Aphrodite caused his misfortunes in hatred of his chastity. Artemis promises the grieving father and dying prince that she will avenge their sorrows: when Aphrodite next falls in love with a mortal, Artemis will punish him just as the goddess of love destroyed Hippolytus. Artemis then urges Theseus and Hippolytus to reconcile. She advises Theseus that he cannot blame himself for his mistake because Aphrodite blinded him, and she tells Hippolytus not to blame his father for he was fated to die in this manner. The goddess exits. Hippolytus obeys Artemis’s commands and absolves his father of all culpability. The king thanks his son for remaining noble and honorable. Theseus holds Hippolytus as he dies. The chorus concludes the play with a final lament.