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Theseus is the son of the god Poseidon, the mythical founder-king of Athens, and also king of the city of Troizen. The myths about him abound. Most famously, he outsmarted and defeated the Minotaur of Crete, freeing the Athenian captives held inside the labyrinth. His wife is Phaidra, but he had affair with an Amazonian woman, who gave birth to Hippolytus. Though he is gone for half the play, visiting an oracle, he returns to find Phaidra dead of suicide and blaming Hippolytus for raping her. He is quick to furious anger in his response, but remorseful when Hippolytus is near death because of Theseus’s curse and the truth is revealed.
Theseus Quotes in Hippolytus
The Hippolytus quotes below are all either spoken by Theseus or refer to Theseus. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 1120-1368
Quotes
That is her signet, set in an arc
Of hammered gold, inviting me
To open it, a gesture full of her charm –
I’ll unravel the windings and crack
The seal. Let me just take in
Her last words to me.
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The truth is hideous. It sears and wrenches
And will not stay clenched in my throat.
To speak it out excruciates me,
But it must come. Ahhh!
Hear it, men of the city!
My wife was raped – by Hippolytus!
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Lines 1369-1727
Quotes
There is one practice
That I have never touched,
Though it’s exactly what you attack me for:
Physical love. Until now
I’ve never been to bed with a woman.
All I know of sex is what I hear,
Or find in pictures – these I’m not very keen
To see, since I keep my inner life
As calm and pure as I can.
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Lines 1728-2208
Quotes
King, I am your slave, but don’t ask me
To believe that your son was guilty.
I couldn’t, not if the whole female sex
Hanged itself,
And all the timber on Mount Ida
Were sliced up to write suicide notes.
I know he was a good man.
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I will reveal and you must face
The sexual passion of your wife,
Though what she did, seen in its own strange light,
Burns with her soul’s nobility.
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Get the entire Hippolytus LitChart as a printable PDF.
Theseus Quotes in Hippolytus
The Hippolytus quotes below are all either spoken by Theseus or refer to Theseus. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 1120-1368
Quotes
That is her signet, set in an arc
Of hammered gold, inviting me
To open it, a gesture full of her charm –
I’ll unravel the windings and crack
The seal. Let me just take in
Her last words to me.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The truth is hideous. It sears and wrenches
And will not stay clenched in my throat.
To speak it out excruciates me,
But it must come. Ahhh!
Hear it, men of the city!
My wife was raped – by Hippolytus!
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Lines 1369-1727
Quotes
There is one practice
That I have never touched,
Though it’s exactly what you attack me for:
Physical love. Until now
I’ve never been to bed with a woman.
All I know of sex is what I hear,
Or find in pictures – these I’m not very keen
To see, since I keep my inner life
As calm and pure as I can.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Lines 1728-2208
Quotes
King, I am your slave, but don’t ask me
To believe that your son was guilty.
I couldn’t, not if the whole female sex
Hanged itself,
And all the timber on Mount Ida
Were sliced up to write suicide notes.
I know he was a good man.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
I will reveal and you must face
The sexual passion of your wife,
Though what she did, seen in its own strange light,
Burns with her soul’s nobility.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
