Hippolytus Lesson Plan

Compare and contrast this section with the first section of the play (Day 1). How is it different in setting, tone, speech, and meaning?

The opening section is set in the world of the gods, with Aphrodite and Artemis (as an object of worship) dominating. With the entrance of the Nurse, the play “descends” to the everyday world. While the tone of the opening is formal, with long speeches and hymns, the Nurse section is domestic and more conversational. And, whereas the opening scenes reveal information, this section deals with obscurity and ambiguity.

Reason vs. passion is one of the main themes of the play. How does this theme develop in this scene? What is Phaedra’s...