The Greeks Vs Their Gods In Hippolytus free essay sample

The Greeks Vs. Their Gods In Hippolytus Essay, Research Paper The Greeks vs. Their Supreme beings in Hippolytus The drama Hippolytus by the Grecian dramatist Euripides is one which explores classical Greek faith. Throughout the drama, the influence of the Gods on the actions of the characters is apparent, particularly when Aphrodite affects the actions of Phaedra. Besides cardinal to the secret plan is the god-god interactions between Artemis and Aphrodite. In this essay, I hope to supply replies to how the actions of Hippolytus and Phaedra relate to the Gods, whether or non the characters concern themselves with the reaction of the Gods to their behaviour, what the characters anticipate from the Gods, how the Gods treat the worlds, and whether or non the Gods gain anything from doing the worlds suffer. Before we can discourse the drama, nevertheless, a few footings need to be defined. Most of import would be the nature of the Gods. They have Godhead powers, but what precisely makes the Grecian Gods unique should be explored. The Grecian Gods, since they are anthropomorphous, have many of the same features as worlds. One feature of the Gods which is evident is jealousy. Aphrodite seems to be covetous of Artemis because Hippolytus worships Artemis as the greatest of all Gods, while he tends to shy away from idolizing Aphrodite ( 10-16 ) . This is of import because it sets in gesture the actions of the drama when Aphrodite decides to acquire retaliation on Hippolytus. The Godhead relationship between the Gods is a spot different, nevertheless. Over the class of the drama, Artemis does non interfere in the actions of Aphrodite, which shows that the Gods, while Godhead, do hold limitations ; in this instance, it shows the Gods can non interfere with each other. ( 1328-1330 ) The Gods are sometimes evil and vindictive, though, as can seen by what Artemis has to state about Aphrodite: # 8220 ; I? ll delay boulder clay she loves a person following clip, and with this manus # 8211 ; with these inerrable pointers I? ll punish him. # 8221 ; ( 1420-1422 ) The relationship of world and the Gods besides needs to be discussed. This relationship seems to be a kind of discussion relationship, in portion. The Greeks believed that if they gave to the Gods, through supplication and forfeits, that the Gods would assist them out. This is particularly true of Hippolytus and his about inordinate worship of Artemis. Besides, Theseus praying to his male parent Poseidon is another illustration of this, merely Theseus really gets what he prays for. ( 887-890 ) Merely because world worshipped the Gods, nevertheless did non intend that the Gods had any kind of duty to assist out the worlds. Artemis did nil to protect Hippolytus from being killed. But non all dealingss between the Gods and world were positive from the worlds? point of view. Since Aphrodite is angry with Hippolytus for non idolizing her, she decides to penalize him by doing Phaedra love him, so doing it look that he colzas her, when she really hangs herself, whether that is through her ain actions or is the making of Aphrodite. The ideas and actions of Hippolytus and Phaedra surely are irrational at times. After all, a stepmother falling in love with her stepson is improbable, but likely even less acceptable. This is straight related to the Gods. What Aphrodite does to Phaedra surely causes her to make some unusual things. For case, first Phaedra seems to travel brainsick, and so she decides to conceal her new-found love for Hippolytus from the nurse. Later, though, she decides to state the nurse, and when she finds that the nurse has told Hippolytus, decides that the lone logical class of action is to kill herself. This action is surely related to the Gods because Aphrodite makes it look as if Phaedra? s self-destruction is truly the mistake of Hippolytus. Some of Hippolytus? actions are related to the Gods every bit good. When Theseus discovers that Phaedra is dead and decides to expatriate Hippolytus, Hippolytus does object to his ostracism, but finally he stops reasoning with his male parent. At this point, he prays to the Gods that he be killed in expatriate if he is guilty of the decease of Phaedra. It is besides possible he may be anticipating Artemis to assist him out, though she does nil until he is on the brink of decease. The characters do worry about how the Gods react to them at times. Hippolytus does non look to concern himself much with how Aphrodite reacts to his behaviour. At the beginning of the drama, the old adult male inquiries Hippolytus? determination non to idolize Aphrodite, but Hippolytus truly does non worry that he may be doing Aphrodite angry. He does care how Artemis reacts, nevertheless, because he is trusting to maintain her happy so that she may assist him out if he should necessitate it. Theseus surely concerns himself with how the Gods react, since he needs Poseidon to direct a bull to travel kill his boy. At the terminal of the drama he does care what Artemis has to state about him killing his boy. He believes that he should be the one to decease, though Artemis is able to convert him that he was fooled by the Gods. Phaedra, on the other manus, truly is in no place to care much about how the Gods respond to what she does. This is because she is under the control of Aphrodite. Aphrodite makes her love Hippolytus, it certain ly is non of her ain free will. Equally far as what the characters expect from their Gods, it varies by individual. Theseus, being the boy of Poseidon, was purportedly given three expletives by his male parent, and he expects Poseidon to assist him out and kill Hippolytus. ( 887-889 ) Hippolytus neer truly expects anything specific from Artemis during the drama, but he does state the Gods that he should dice in expatriate if he is guilty of the colza of Phaedra. Even as he is death, he does non anticipate Artemis to assist him. Interestingly, he even apologizes to his male parent and to Artemis for doing them to endure because of his decease. Phaedra wishes that her judgement had non be interfered with by the Aphrodite, because she is the 1 who caused Phaedra to fall in love with Hippolytus. The Gods dainty human beings more or less as pawns to make with as they please. It seems like it is all a game to them. In Hippolytus, it is game of retaliation between Aphrodite and Artemis. Aphrodite interferes in the life of Hippolytus, person loved by Artemis, so Artemis vows to take retaliation on Aphrodite to revenge the decease of Hippolytus. Despite the fact that he worships her above all others, she still does non assist him out throughout the full drama. This indicates that Artemis may non attention for him every bit much as we are led to believe. She says she would take retaliation, but there is no warrant it will go on. From this, we can see that the Gods frequently did non handle the worlds really good. In a manner, Poseidon dainties Theseus good by allowing his want for the decease of Hippolytus. This joy is ephemeral, nevertheless, when he discovers that he has been fooled by the fast ones of Aphrodite. Why the Gods would handle the worlds this manner is a slightly complicated inquiry. An easy reply would be that they have the power to make to the worlds what the please. But there are other grounds as good. For case, the subject of retaliation plays a major function in the secret plan. The actions of Aphrodite against Hippolytus are motivated by retaliation. The Gods, at least in Hippolytus, are non malicious and desiring worlds to endure for no good ground. Therefore, the most of import ground for Gods handling worlds the manner they do is that they are responding to the actions of worlds ; this is particularly true of Aphrodite? s reaction to Hippolytus? s failure to worship her. The Gods must deduce something from the agony of the worlds ; otherwise there is no point in doing them endure. In this instance, the Gods derive both sorrow and joy from the agony of the characters. Aphrodite surely is happy that Hippolytus suffered and died through her ain actions, and that she causes Theseus to endure every bit good by taking his boy off. On the other manus, she likely does non care much that she besides caused the decease of Phaedra. Phaedra merely serves as a pawn to acquire retaliation on Hippolytus. Aphrodite merely cares to penalize Hippolytus, and she would hold used Phaedra in whatever capacity necessary to acquire that retaliation. Artemis, nevertheless, is saddened by the loss of Hippolytus: # 8220 ; You and I are the main sick persons Theseus. # 8221 ; ( 1337 ) Because of this, she vows to revenge Hippolytus? decease, and besides tells him that he will non be forgotten by future coevalss of Greeks, that his name will live on in glorification. Interestingly, Hippolytus wis able to forgive his male parent even though his male parent caused his decease. That should non be surprising, because he realizes that his male parent was fooled by the Gods, and being an irrational homo, could non truly be expected to cognize he was being tricked. Besides, Artemis does non fault Theseus for the decease of his boy: # 8220 ; It is natural for work forces to mistake when they are blinded by gods. # 8221 ; ( 1433-1434 ) The most of import thing that the stoping shows is that sometimes the Gods do care what happens to the worlds. It besides shows how easy the power of the Gods, peculiarly that of Poseidon, could be misused because Theseus gets what he prays for, the decease of his boy, but it is non truly what he wanted. Two major subjects are present in Hippolytus: retaliation and forgiveness. About the full secret plan of the drama is based on retaliation. There is the retaliation between Gods and worlds, and worlds and worlds. Initially, we hold Aphrodite desiring retaliation on Hippolytus for idolizing Artemis and non her, which of class sets in gesture the actions of the drama. Then we have the retaliation of Theseus against Hippolytus, when he believes that his boy raped his married woman and killed her. This does non stop up as retaliation, nevertheless, as Theseus finally suffers as a consequence of his boy? s decease. One concluding signifier of retaliation comes at the terminal of the drama, when Artemis vows to revenge the decease of Hippolytus by interfering with a human loved by Aphrodite. It is all a barbarous rhythm of retaliation. This same narrative could really easy go on once more if Artemis does revenge his decease. Besides, forgiveness is an of import subject. Even though his male parent is responsible for his decease, Hippolytus is however able to forgive him. This comes from the realisation that his male parent had been deceived by the Gods. In the terminal, this proves one time once more that the Greeks were at the clemency of their Gods and that they had to seek to populate their life the best they could in malice of that fact.