reading test Hippolytus Flashcards
who are the parents of Theseus?
Aethra (Trozen) and Aegeus (Athens)
who are the 2 principal wives of Theseus?
- Hippolyta (concubine)
- Phaedra
who are Hippolytus’ parents?
Hyppolyta and Theseus
why didn’t Theseus take the boat from his mother to go find his father?
he wanted to become a hero fast, and this was too easy and safe. He went to Athens by land instead.
what was Theseus’ idea of justice?
what each had done to others, Theseus did to him.
give examples of Theseus bringing justice.
- Sciron made those he captured kneel, wash his feet and then kicked them into the sea: Theseus threw him into a cliff
- Sinis killes people by fastening them to 2 trees bent to the ground and letting the trees go died that way too
- Procrustes placed people on iron beds tying them and making them the right length by cutting the too long and stretching the too short: Theseus did this to him
how was Theseus received in Athens?
as a hero, the king invited him over with the intention to kill him as he was afraid he would take his place, but didn’t know it was his son
whose idea was it to poison Theseus?
Medea : she did not want Aegeus disturbed by the appearance of a son
how did Theseus tell Aegeus that he was his son?
by drawing his sword, which was recognized by Aegeus
how did the Minotaur’s myth start?
- Minos (ruler of Crete) lost his son Androgeus while he was visiting Aegeus.
- Aegeus sent him on a quest to a bull, but the bull killed him
- Minos invaded the country and demanded a tribute of 7 maidens and 7 youths every 9 years.
- they were given to the Minotaur to devour
why did Theseus offer himself to the Minotaur?
he wanted to kill it
what was the sign that was to be sent by Theseus to Aegeus to say he was safe?
if he succeeded, he would change the black sail of his ship to a white one
who is Ariadne and why was she important?
- Minos’ daughter
- she fell in love with Theseus at first sight in audience in Crete
- went to Daedalus to show her a way out of labrynth to help Theseus in exchange of marrying her
how did Theseus kill the Minotaur?
- he used Ariadne’s trick: a ball of thread fastened at the door and unwind as he went on
- killed him with his fists
what are the 2 stories of what happened after they went to the island of Naxos?
- Theseus deserted Ariadne (she was asleep and he sailed away without her, but Dionysus found her and comforted her)
- Ariadne was seasick and he set her ashore to recover while he went back to the ship. A strong wind sailed him away and by the time he came back, she was dead.
what are the possible reasons why Theseus would forget to set the white sail?
- his joy at the success of his voyage
- his grief for Ariadne
what happened to Aegeus after he thought his son died?
he threw himself into the sea and was killed
how and why did Athens become the happiest and most prosperous and most free city?
- Theseus became king and did not want to rule over people, he wanted a government where people are equal
- built a council hall where citizens gather and vote
- people governed themselves
why was Theseus seen as honorable during the War of the Seven against Thebes?
- they refused to bury the enemies’ bodies
- Theseus led his army against Thebes and forced them to allow burial
- he did not use the opportunity to harm Thebes, he left when it was done
give examples of why Theseus is honorable.
- received Oedipus when everyone else cast him out
- Theseus stood by Hercules after he killed his wife and children in madness and stopped him from killing himself
who is hippolyta?
-mother of Hyppolytus
- queen of Amazons (women warriers - breastless (since they were archers)
what did Theseus love?
danger, for the sake of danger
how did Theseus and Hyppolyta meet?
- he went to the country of the Amazons, the women warriers, and left with Hippolyta as his concubine (sexual slave)
how did Pirithoüs and Theseus become friends?
- Pirithoüs wanted to see for hiimself if Theseus was a hero
- he stole one of Theseus’ cattle so he pursued him
- when they met Pirithoüs forgot about his plan out of admiration for Theseus and they took an oath of friendship
what happened during Pirithoüs’ wedding?
- the Centaurs (horse and man) were related to the bride and came to the wedding
- they got drunk and seized the woman
- Theseus went to defend the bride and struck down the Centaur
- whole race of Centaurs were driven out of the country
what did Theseus do when Pirithoüs told him he wanted Persephone?
- said he would first capture Helen (future heroin of Troy and a child), and when she was grown marry her
- he kidnapped her but they got her back while he was on his way to the underworld with Pirithoüs
how did the Lord of Hades receive Theseus and Pirithoüs?
- was aware of their intentions and was amused
- he invited them to sit, but little did they know, they were sat on the Chair of Forgetfulness (where one forgets everything)
what happens to the two men after sitting on the Chair of Forgetfulness?
- Hercules came and lifted Theseus from his seat and brought him back to earth
- tried to do the same to Pirithoüs but could not
who did Theseus marry later?
Ariadne’ sister Phaedra
what is the dramatic irony in Aphrodite’s epiphany in the beginning?
she tells the audience everything that will happen and that Hippolytus will die for having started war with her, but he is the only one who does not know.
where are the two place gods can be?
in heaven (sky) or on the top of a mountain (Olympus)
what does Hippolytus bring Artemis in the beginning?
a woven garland from the virgin meadow (not touched by human agriculture)
why is Hippolytus a fool?
- because he says if he doesn’t hear his servant’s advice, he would be a fool
- he then proceeds not to listen to him
what does the servant say as advice to Hippolytus?
that he should worship all the gods, not just Artemis.
what are the possible explanations given by the chorus for Phaedra’s madness?
- being possessed by Pan, Hecate, or Cybele
- Theseus is cheating on her and she found out
- she received bad news from home and is grieving
- she has failed to worship Artemis (sin)
what are the 3 places Phaedra asks to go to?
- the lush meadow (sacred to Artemis) - Hippolytus is there
- mountain/woods to hunt (Artemis is the goddess of the hunt) - Hippolytus is there
- on the ground of Artemis’ precinct - where Hippolytus would be
why does Phaedra want to go to places sacred to Artemis?
- since she knows Hippolytus has many chances to be there
- her subconscious (psyche) knows about the imbalance (perversion of nature) and is trying to bring Artemis back in her psyche to restore balance
what does Phaedra do when she is in her paroxysm?
- lets her hair loose : shows off her sexual attributes
- removes her headdress
what does the nurse say that makes Phaedra want to speak up?
when she mentions Hippolytus’ name
what does the nurse do that forces Phaedra to speak up?
she supplicates her (kneeling and grabbing her hand) - sacred to the Greeks as one should have mercy on the one supplicating you, or else gods get mad
why doesn’t Phaedra want to talk about her sickness?
because she is letting herself die and wanting to bring her secret to the grave in order to keep her honor in death and to be remembered as honorable
how does Phaedra explain all her family’s bad luck with love?
she thinks it’s an inherited curse in her family
what is the nurse’s / Greeks first reaction to Phaedra’s confession?
she is shaken and horrified and immediatly wants to kill herself and die
what consists of Phaedra’s 3 step policy?
- stay quiet about her sickness and keep it hidden
- conquer her madness through self-control
- resolve on death
why is Phaedra a fool?
because she claims to hate women to that claim to virtue but commit deeds in secret. However, she claims virtue, but not in the name of virtue, in the name of honor and her good name
what is the nurse’s second reaction?
- diverts from real issue and claims it is normal to be in love
- uses the gods to say it’s okay since they did it too
- says it is wise to let what is not virtuous remain unseen
- says she should go through with the love since it’s what a god wished to happen
what is the true intension of the nurse when she tells Phaedra to pursue her love?
- she will make Hippolytus fall in love with her too
what does the nurse say that convinces Phaedra to pursue her love?
that if she doesn’t, her reputation will be ruined
how did the nurse betray Phaedra?
she told Hippolytus about her sickness, but he oathes not to repeat
what would be Hippolytus’ ideal world?
no women, and the men would pay for their offspring. They could exchange bronze or gold for offspring without having to procreate with women
how is Hyppolytus contradictory?
he says he could never be friends with someone who sinned, but he has sinned greatly by not worshiping Aphrodite
how does Theseus know something is wrong when he gets back?
he comes back from an oracle and no one is there to welcome him and to hear his predictions
how does Phaedra find out the nurse betrayed her?
he hears Hippolytus screaming insults at her through the door
how did Phaedra tell Theseus after her death about the “truth” and what it is?
- on a tablet that she held in her hands as she died
- it says that Hippolytus laid hand on Phaedra
how does Theseus react to Phaedra’s “truth” and what does he do to Hippolytus?
- he is outraged
- he uses one of the three prayers Poseidon gave him and asks him to kill Hippolytus
- being unsure if Poseidon would actually do it, he also exiles Hippolytus, so that if he doesn’t die in Poseidon’s hands, he will live in exile forever
what are the two voices Theseus believes veryone should have?
- an honest voice
- the voice one would have anyway, so that if it is being dishonest, the honest one would reveal it
why does Hippolytus say he is virtuous in the end?
- he keeps the oath he made to the nurse to never speak about this to Theseus
- breaking his oath would not be virtuous, so he considers himself the most virtuous of men
how does Hippolytus try to convince Theseus he did nothing?
- says he is pure, unsullied by sex and has a virgin soul, so he could never do that
- says he could never want to take his place as king, as he prefers the second position in the city saying that the absence of danger is a greater pleasure than kingship
what does Hippolytus request for his exile?
that Theseus himself brings him out of the country, not the servants
how did Hippolytus die (or almost die)?
- he went on his charriot with the horses and left
- they heard a roar from the earth
- a giant wave came towards them and a a bull came out of the wave
- after having emerged from the water, the bull attacked Hippolytus’ horses
- Hippolytus fell in the knots of reins and the horses in panic so he was crushed
how does Theseus feel about Hippolytus’ death?
- he feels no pleasure nor distress
- he asks them to bring Hippolytus to him so he can face him
who appears in the end to speak to Theseus?
Artemis
how does Theseus learn the truth?
Artemis appears and tells him the truth to help Hippolytus die in honor and to make justice of Phaedra’s lust
why was Theseus wrong, according to Artemis?
- he used his prayer against his son, rather than against an enemy
- he waited for no proof and conducted no investigation before convicting his son and killing him
what does Artemis prove to Hippolytus in the end?
that there is a limit to her love, as she could not do anything for him not to die. She does not shed a tear when he dies.
which goddess destroyed the whole family?
Aphrodite
what group of people will honor Hippolytus for his sufferings?
- honor in the city of Trozen
- unwed girls will cut their hair in tribute to Hippolytus before marriage
why didn’t Artemis do anything to save Hippolytus?
- she could not intervene in Aphrodite’s scheme because, even if they have different goals and ideas, they do not intervene in each other’s activities. It would have been inappropriate for her to intervene and save Hippolytus
how will Artemis take her revenge on Aphrodite?
- she will kill Adonis (Aphrodite’s most loyal supporter)
- makes sense, since Aphrodite killed Artemis’ favorite, so she will do the same
what does Artemis do in the end of the play?
she leaves because it is inapporopriate for gods to witness the death of mortals and to pollute their sight with this image
what does Hippolytus do to Theseus at the end?
- he frees him of the guilt of his death, so that his hands are not polluted
