Hippolytus

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1. "I have been assigned to write an essay comparing and contrasting the character of Hippolytus from Jean Racine's play Phaedra and the character of Hippolytus from Euripides' play Hippolytus. My sources need to come from credible places like Ebscohost, however I am having problems finding sources at all. Also, I really don't even understand the differences bewteen the two characters. Can you please help me find good sources..."

Here are some on-line sources that seem reliable: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:IGEitBK1GVkJ:plaza.ufl.edu/jeannien/index_files/hippolytus.ppt+Character+of+Hippolytus+from+Euripides%27+play+Hippolytus&hl=en&start=15

http://www.onlinereviewlondon.com/reviews/phaedra.html
http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/gretaham/Teaching/reference/greekterms.htm#koros
http://www.4literature.net/Euripides/Hippolytus/2.html
http://www.studyworld.com/newsite/ReportEssay/literature/Play%5CHippolytus-381451.htm
http://www.temple.edu/classics/hippochart.html
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:jPFFG_RV04kJ:webpages.shepherd.edu/maustin/engl209/Phaedra.DOC+Character+of+Hippolytus+&hl=en&start=34

2. "...and to understand the characters?"

Racine's Phaedra, a re-telling of Euripides's Hippolytus, presents another aspect of neoclassicism: a grim, unlaughing moral tale of tragedy resulting from uncontrolled passion.
Let's take a closer look at these two characters.
1. R's Hippolytus (Son of Theseus and Antiope, queen of the Amazons) is famous for his chastity shown when he rejects with horror his stepmother's incestuous love; she is responsible for his death.

In contrast to R's Hippolytus, E's Hippolytus takes his chastity to the point of hybris meaning pride, arrogance, insolence, violent transgression, outrage, gross insult, assault (including sexual assault, i.e. rape). In tragedy, the initial result of koros Is satiety, excess, and the consequences thereto (insolence). http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/gretaham/Teaching/reference/greekterms.htm#koros

The original play by Euripides is the story of how Aphrodite takes revenge on Hippolytus for his chastity. Humans are merely pawns of the Gods. Racine has a more human focus, shown in the characters (i.e., R's Hippolytus' ability to be chaste, but yet be in love)

2. R's Hippolytus is noble and loyal to his father. In the opening scene in Act 1, as Hippolytus is worried because his father, Theseus, has not been heard from in six months, Theramenes repeats the stories from mythology about Theseus's sexual conquests. Note the absolute loyalty of Hippolytus, who will listen to no evil spoken of his father (lines 22-28). From this very first scene in the play Racine is establishing the noble character of Hippolytus. Out of respect and honor and ...