Hippolytus

Roles

• Hippolytus - Young Adult (20-35), Male

About this piece

Hippolytus' tirade agains women

Summary

Hyppolitus is the illegitimate son of Theseus, the mythical founder-king of Athens, who during the play is in exile in the city of Troezen for having killed another king and his sons. The play centers on Phaedra's (Hippolytus' stepmother) love for her stepson which ultimately leads her to humiliation and suicide. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, inspires Phaedra's mad love as a revenge on Hippolytus for honoring Artemis instead of her. Theseus, thinking that Hippolytus is responsible for his wife's death, punishes him and eventually he is killed. In the end Artemis tells Theseus the truth and Hippolytus forgives his father before he dies. In the second scene of the play we learn from the Chorus that Phaedra has been feeling sick and hasn't been sleeping or eating. Phaedra has a long conversation with her nurse and eventually confesses that she is feeling ill because of her love for Hippolytus. She wants to keep her honor intact and has decided to kill herself. The nurse comforts her and persuades her to endure her pain. She then meets Hippolytus and tells him about Phaedra's love for him but makes him swear that he won't tell anybody about it. In this monologue, after learning from the nurse about his stepmother's love for him, Hippolytus reacts with an angry tirade against the evil nature of women.

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