e Strife For a Straight Life: The Examination of Mortal and Divine Relations :: Classics

The Strife For a Straight Life: The Examination of Mortal and Divine Relations "A straight and perfect life is not for man." - the Nurse in Hippolytus The idea that fate is rooted from the interconnection of divine beings whose will is played-out by mortals, is a highly enriched belief that is capitalized on by many Greek tragedians. Among those who suggest that there is an endless cycle of good will, revenge, uncertainty, and punishment is the Greek dramatist, Euripides. His work, Hippolytus, is an excellent example of a well-written Greek tragedy that informs readers of the intermingling of divine power and a mortal's free will. Hippolytus, however, would not be able to serve this primary function without the elements which compose Greek tragedy in its entirety. Therefore, a detailed investigation into the characters of Hippolytus, and their divine counterparts, is necessary to better understand how Euripides evokes the need for divine intervention and also, why the divine is inspired to transpire revenge. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and sensuality, who delivers a long monologue about the forthcoming events, sets the play. This is quit common in Greek tragedy. This technique builds suspense because the audience wants to see if the plot she reveals is actually going to happen. The plot she presents is that of her own; she seeks revenge of the mortal prince Hippolytus. It is apparent that she has been insulted by him and does not go out of the her way to say: " For this prince of Theseus' seed Hippolytus, child of that dead Amazon, And reared by Saintly Pitheus in his own Straight ways, hath dared, alone of Trozen, to hold me least of spirits and most mean, And spurns my spell and sees no woman's kiss." (Euripides, 3) Hence, Aphrodite builds her case of revenge on this petty act of transgression and states, "That vengeance that shall make all well with me." (Euripides, 5) In other words, she will feel better once Hippolytus' transgression has been "justified" by her. Furthermore, she reveals her character as sort of selfish when she contends, "For there is, even in a great God's mind, that hungered for the praise of human kind." (Euripides, 2) Here, Aphrodite expresses the need to be praised and worshiped. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that she feels neglected, and even jealous of Artemis. This jealousy builds rage in Aphrodite and justifies her need to seek revenge on not only Hippolytus, but also Phaedra and Theseus. Hippolytus, on the other hand, is a man of virtue and chastity. He practices resistance to the temptation life has to offer.