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.
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 sat- isfy my honour. (View Highlight)
those that re- spect 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)