The Hippolytus play
Every Greek tragedy usually has a chorus, which consists of a group of singers who watch as the events unfold. They also offer reactions by singing odes. The chorus is used to represent an audience in the play, helping us to follow main themes and commenting on issues the main characters cannot speak about. In the Hippolytus play, the chorus is made of Troizenian women, and their songs mainly focus on topics such as love and sexuality. In Greek traditions, young men went through rites of passage, and Hippolytus was no exception. When young men went hunting, they were without sex, honoring the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, and came back into society as adults. However, when Hippolytus comes back into society, he wants to abstain from sex permanently, which dishonors Aphrodite.
Aphrodite does not take this perceived betrayal well and is vengeful towards him. She makes his mother, Phaedra, fall in love with him while he is away. The chorus, being married women, revere Aphrodite, which makes them frame this revenge in a way that seems justified. The chorus further goes on to tell us how Phaedra is sick and confesses her desire to her nurse. She is ashamed and wants to starve and die honorably. The chorus is shocked, and the nurse, thinking that she can help Phaedra, goes and tells Hippolytus the truth. It angers him, and when his mother finds out, she swears the chorus to secrecy and commits suicide. Since the chorus and Hippolytus are sworn to secrecy, they cannot reveal why Phaedra killed herself, and he is blamed for raping her. Hippolytus is cursed to death and exiled by his father. Hippolytus’ death is even more tragic since he was dragged by his horses, which he could previously control. Hippolytus also means ‘destroyed by horses.’