Hippolytus Lesson Plan

Is Aphrodite justified in her anger towards Hippolytus? Why or why not? Does her plan to destroy him seem fair? Why or why not? How does Euripides portray the relationship between gods and mortals in the prologue?

Considering that all the gods enjoy being honored by mortals, Aphrodite’s anger does seem justified. However, her plan to destroy Hippolytus does not seem fair to Theseus and Phaedra, innocent bystanders who will also be destroyed in the process. All the same, Aphrodite says that she does not value their suffering more than getting revenge on Hippolytus. Right at the outset of the play, Euripides shows how gods and mortals exist on separate planes, with the...