While he still detests women and thinks them wicked, even using Medea as the archetypal example, he is still an innocent that had gotten wrapped up in Phaedra’s sinful desires. When she reveals her love towards him, he even feels guilty for causing such emotions in his stepmother. Later, he is condemned to death at the request of his own father, brutally torn apart. Hippolytus is truly a tragic character who is a passive victim in Phaedra compared to his characterization in Hippolytus. There are still many notable differences between Phaedra and Hippolytus, beyond characterization and the presence, or lack thereof, of the goddesses Artemis and Aphrodite. The deaths of Hippolytus and Phaedra are inversed in Seneca’s play, allowing the confrontation between her and Theseus possible towards the end. Another considerable distinction is the tone the ending of the plays
While he still detests women and thinks them wicked, even using Medea as the archetypal example, he is still an innocent that had gotten wrapped up in Phaedra’s sinful desires. When she reveals her love towards him, he even feels guilty for causing such emotions in his stepmother. Later, he is condemned to death at the request of his own father, brutally torn apart. Hippolytus is truly a tragic character who is a passive victim in Phaedra compared to his characterization in Hippolytus. There are still many notable differences between Phaedra and Hippolytus, beyond characterization and the presence, or lack thereof, of the goddesses Artemis and Aphrodite. The deaths of Hippolytus and Phaedra are inversed in Seneca’s play, allowing the confrontation between her and Theseus possible towards the end. Another considerable distinction is the tone the ending of the plays