Hippolytus/The Bacchae
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3.6 • 8 Ratings
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Publisher Description
Euripides, the youngest of the trio of great Greek tragedians was born at Salamis in 480 B.C., on the day when the Greeks won their momentous naval victory there over the fleet of the Persians. The precise social status of his parents is not clear but he received a good education, was early distinguished as an athlete, and showed talent in painting and oratory. He was a fellow student of Pericles, and his dramas show the influence of the philosophical ideas of Anaxagoras and of Socrates, with whom he was personally intimate. Like Socrates, he was accused of impiety, and this, along with domestic infelicity, has been supposed to afford a motive for his withdrawal from Athens, first to Magnesia and later to the court of Anchelaüs in Macedonia where he died in 406 B.C.
Customer Reviews
Bacchae better, Hippolytus less good
Bacchae - ★★★★★
Witty, scary, and brings up many interesting themes such as feminism, madness and power. Pentheus’ death is shocking and memorable.
Hippolytus - ★★★☆☆
Moves slowly, lacks the same humour or sinisterness that the Bacchae has, and Hippolytus waxes misogyny frequently for no higher reason. Hippolyus’ death when compared to Pentheus’ is also slightly underwhelming and comes across as more of a road accident than a gruesome murder.
Average rating: ★★★★☆