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Article
Euripides' Second Thoughts
Transactions of the American Philological Association (2000)
  • Emily A. McDermott, University of Massachusetts Boston
Abstract
Euripides' extant Hippolytus was a rare "re-production" of an earlier play on the same mythic episode. The play contains a series of metadramatic comments on its partial interchange of Phaedra's and the Nurse's original roles. The Nurse's appearance in the "Stephanias" as seducer of a virtuous Phaedra is presented as a "change of mind." Her "second thoughts" (to corrupt, rather than dissuade Phaedra) mirror the playwright's decision to amend a shameless Phaedra's character by, conversely, degenerating the Nurse's. His covert comments on this strategy of reversal underline the oddity of his decision to correct his first try at the story.
Keywords
  • Greek tragedy,
  • Euripides,
  • Hippolytus
Publication Date
2000
Citation Information
Emily A. McDermott. "Euripides' Second Thoughts" Transactions of the American Philological Association Vol. 130 (2000)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/emily_mcdermott/6/