Play review: Hippolytus

Read, not seen. Part of the "well it survived two millennia so I may as well see if it is worth reading" series.

The story: Aphrodite has smitten Phaedra with sexual love for her stepson Hippolytus in retaliation for H's rejection of Ap in favour of the Virgin Huntress Artemis. P, tormented, struggles in vain and resolves to die by starvation. Her nurse, distraught, worms the story from P and decides to "help" by telling H; but H reacts with horror and threatens, though bound not to reveal the story, to bring his father Theseus home. P, worried now that her honour is at risk, resolves to die by hanging. As her body is brought out T returns - with, incidentally and apparently irrelevantly a garland as someone who has received a favourable oracle, in this case to expiation of his previous crimes - and notices a letter at P's wrist, which is her last words, accusing H - falsely - of crimes against her. T, in anger, curses - he has been given three curses, by Poseidon - and exiles H. H goes with his men; later, one returns in distress, to report H's (near) death: while charioting, a bull from the sea - or a great wave, easy to see as something earthquake related, but in the play P's doing - frightened the horses and H was fatally injured. Should they bring H back? T says yes, Ar reappears to tell T that H is innocent OK, H nobly reassures T that he forgives him and bears him no ill-will for his death, and dies.

Mottoes: according to the intro of the Penguin edition I read, mostly that life is tough. That seems inadequate. As usual with these things, the main motto would appear to be: don't be hasty. Don't act in anger. Don't act on uncorroborated accusations. This is perhaps a rather boring motto but valuable nonetheless. Another might be: talk to people, don't suffer in silence. Perhaps also there's a rebuke to Ar: a life of total purity is unrealistic and too much of a strain for poor mortal frames; the world would be better if you allow some Ap into your life.