Play by Euripides. It is in GB Volume 5. Newsletter post: https://www.readgreatbooks.info/p/great-books-ep-78-euripides-hippolytus.
Hippolytus
Metadata
- Author: Euripides
- Full Title: Hippolytus
- Category:articlesbooks
- Summary: “Hippolytus” is a play by Euripides that explores themes of love, suffering, and divine influence. The story involves characters dealing with emotional turmoil, particularly the queen who is in distress and longing for escape. The narrative highlights the struggles of mortals under the weight of their desires and the gods’ whims.
- URL: https://readwise.io/reader/document_raw_content/206508682
People in the play
- Aphrodite, Hippolytus, Attendants of Hippolytus, Chorus of Troezenian Women. Nurse of Phaedra, Phaedra, Theseus, First Messenger, Second Messenger, Artemis
Highlights
- So Phaedra is to die, an honoured death ‘tis true, but still to die; for I will not let her suffering outweigh the payment of such forfeit by my foes as shall satisfy my honour. (View Highlight)
- those that respect my power I advance to honour, but bring to ruin all who vaunt themselves at me. (View Highlight)
- Love he scorns, and, as for marriage, will none of it; (View Highlight)
- Yea, and oft o’er woman’s way- ward nature settles a feeling of miserable perplexity, arising from labour-pains or passionate desire. (View Highlight)
- No god, whose worship craves the night, hath charms for me. (View Highlight)
- Better be sick than tend the sick; the first is but a single ill, the last unites mental grief with manual toil. (View Highlight)
- Man’s whole life is full of anguish; no respite from his woes he finds; but if there is aught to love beyond this life, night’s dark pall doth wrap it round. And so we show our mad love of this life because its light is shed on earth, and because we know no other, and have naught revealed to us of all our earth may hide; and trusting to fables we drift at random. (View Highlight)
- Men say that too engrossing pursuits in life more oft cause disappointment than pleasure, and too oft are foes to health. (View Highlight)
- Now life has many pleasures, protracted talk, and leisure, that seductive evil; likewise there is shame which is of two kinds, one a noble quality, the other a curse to tamilies; (View Highlight)
- And last when I could not succeed in mastering love hereby, methought it best to die; and none can gainsay my purpose. For fain I would my virtue should to all appear, my shame have few to witness it (View Highlight)
- For to know that father or mother have sinned doth turn the stoutest heart to slavishness. This alone, men say, can stand the buffets of life’s battle, a just and virtuous soul in whomsoever found. For time unmasks the villain sooner or later, holding up to them a mirror as to some blooming maid. (View Highlight)
- second thoughts are often best even with men. (View Highlight)
- ‘tis part of human wisdom to conceal the deed of shame. Nor should man aim at excessive refinement in his life; for they cannot with exactness finish e’en the roof that covers in a house; (View Highlight)
- Tis even this, too plausible a tongue, that overthrows good governments and homes of men. We should not speak to please the ear but point the path that leads to noble fame. (View Highlight)
- But it is easiest for him who has settled in his house as wife a mere nobody, incapable from simplicity. (View Highlight)
- A virtuous tale grows fairer told to many. (View Highlight)
- A very master in his craft the man, who can force fools to be wise! (View Highlight)
- sad news about great men takes more than usual hold upon the heart (View Highlight)