The Diagnoses of Phaedra in the Play Hippolytus

The Diagnoses of Phaedra in the Play Hippolytus

Theatre History 111: Dr. Jennifer Wise

Student: Jessica

November 14, 2005

The intimate play Hippolytus by Euripides is a story of love, lust and loathing, where one woman's feelings for a man lead to her self-destruction. Phaedra is the wife of Theseus, mother of his children, and stepmother to Hippolytus. Phaedra falls in love with Hippolytus, Theseus' son. Her desire for him is improper not only in the past but in the present as well. In the play Phaedra becomes ill and commits suicide in order to protect her children's honour. It is plausible that Phaedra is suffering from clinical depression as she displays many of the symptoms, causes and traits of this disease. Clinical depression has many variables; it depends on the people and their situations. Although clinical depression varies from person to person, there are a number of typical symptoms and causes.

There are multiple reasons to suspect someone might suffer from clinical depression. Fluctuating eating habits are a key sign of depression, regardless of whether there is an increase or decrease in the consumption of food. "Many