The Greeks versus their Gods in Hippolytus

The play Hippolytus by the Greek playwright Euripides is one which explores classical Greek religion. Throughout the play, the influence of the gods on the actions of the characters is evident, especially when Aphrodite affects the actions of Phaedra. Also central to the plot is the god-god interactions between Artemis and Aphrodite. In this essay, I hope to provide answers to how the actions of Hippolytus and Phaedra relate to the gods, whether or not …

…avenge his death. Also, forgiveness is an important theme. Even though his father is responsible for his death, Hippolytus is nevertheless able to forgive him. This comes from the realization that his father had been deceived by the gods. In the end, this proves once again that the Greeks were at the mercy of their gods and that they had to try to live their life the best they could in spite of that fact.