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Topic Summary

Posted by: archive
« on: August 16, 2007, 11:29:18 AM »

I think H's statement about P hating herself is simply a natural progression of that scene. P brings up Lena which sends H into a rage. Following that, H gives retribution mercilessly. It really isn't fun anymore. Anything to get her to leave. I think it may be simply the first thing that comes to his mind in that exchange--"because you hate yourself." Finally, she leaves him alone, and he's free to hate himself in solitude.

Lena, obviously, is the woman who burned him. It's open to interpretation, but maybe, possibly, she's dead too. Maybe he killed her. Maybe she killed herself. This question is best left unanswered. That's what makes it great.

The rest of the questions are the same. Your guess is as good (maybe) as mine. The best art always leaves you asking--and as Sarah Kane said, "subversive both in form and content."

Give yourself a break and treat the play for what it is. Realize there's truth in it, resist the need for explanation, ask rhetorical questions, and answer them yourself. Your experience may pale to someone else's. Abandon hope of understanding. I mean, can you really say you understand life on this planet? I'm sure you've seen characters like H in real life. What causes people to be attracted to them? In the second scene in Phaedra, P tells the Doctor that H is a popular guy. The Doctor asks "Why?"

Hippolytus asks "Why" several times in the play. He wants an explanation as much as we do. He never receives a satisfactory answer. 'Nuff said.

Archive 6-10-2002
Posted by: archive
« on: August 16, 2007, 11:28:24 AM »

I am certain that Lena is an ex-lover who hurt Hippolytus badly.

Perhaps the break-up contributed to his depressed, bitter state?

Archive 1-10-2001
Posted by: archive
« on: August 16, 2007, 11:27:39 AM »

His extreme boredom and need for something to pass the time probably also explains his constant sex and masturbation.

Archive 1-10-2001
Posted by: archive
« on: August 16, 2007, 11:26:49 AM »

I think that some people do rant against people who are maybe a little depressed, the way people often say "why dosen't she cheer up a bit" when talking about Beth from Portishead, or PJ Harvey. Hippolitus takes this sort of attitude to the extreem (like everything else).

As for why he turned him self in, well he was bored and it was something to pass the time. There are people who acctually do that read about a murder in the paper and own up to it. Though in his case he was terminaly bored. It may have been his guilt that his mistreatment did kill her, but I don't think he was that deep.

In Christianaty the unforgiveable sin is to take your own life. Judas took his own life after betraying Christ and so there is that stigma as well. There could be a case that Hippolitus mistreatment of Pheodora coused her death and he admitted it as murder which absolved her of the unforgivabal sin.

Archive 1-10-2001
Posted by: archive
« on: August 16, 2007, 11:26:06 AM »

Hello, may I know why Hippolytus claimed he hates Phaedra because she hates herself? Why did he get real mad when she mentioned the name Lena? Hippolytus is extremely bored, therefore he always masturbates, or have sex. Yet he says he hates sex. How come? What made Hippolytus turn himself in, even though he didn't kill Phaedra? He suddenly reallised that she really loved him, then he made up his mind to turn himself in? According to the Priest, what is the unforgivable sin?

Er,I hope I haven't asked too many questions and irritated anyone, but I just can't think of any answers :( Thanks in advance.

Archive 1-10-2001