Social Responsibility In Euripides's Hippolytus

Myths were used to reinforce social conventions whilst allowing exploration of social tensions and issues. Euripides’s Hippolytus reinforces and questions the role of men and women in society. The idea of community is an essential aspect of Greek society consequently being a man meant full participation in civic life including the religious aspects of sacrifice and processions. In private, men were head of the household and concerned with reproducing sons and Theseus represents the ideal Greek male. Euripides demonstrates how Hippolytus’s actions and behaviours cause him to fail in these duties and that he actually threatens Greek society. Hippolytus is living outside of the community by spending his days in Artemis’ domain as hunting was seen …show more content…
Budelmann and Huskinson (2010, p.36) argues that ‘Euripides was famous for engaging quite overtly with contemporary intellectual discourse. His use of the word sōphrosunē in Hippolytus is a good example’, which occurs eighteen times in the play. It also highlights a social concern with the issue of sexuality and virtue in particular the issue of male celibacy. In Greek society, male virginity was seen as a state of incompleteness. Hippolytus, in stating that he is most sophron and in choosing a celibate life, which was not required by the cult of Artemis, and rejecting wedlock (Euripides, Hippolytus, 13-14), is threatening the community by failing to make the passage from adolescence to adulthood. Artemis, at the end of the play (Euripides, Hippolytus, 1419-1431), repays Hippolytus’ piety and righteous heart by establishing a cult that facilitates passage of young girls into married life. The audience would have been aware of Hippolytus’ sanctuary at Trozen (Buxton, 2010, p.101) adding a direct link to the audience and the myth. Artemis reinstates Hippolytus back into the community with this