Euripides' Hippolytus: The Human Discourse Between Amechania and Mechania

Abstract:In this article I analyze how ἀμηχανία, μηχανία and their roots are central in Euripides' Hippolytus. In the first part, I investigate closely specific occurrences of ἀμηχανία in the play: this condition of "helplessness" appears at key moments of the drama, first in relation to women at large, then in connection to Phaedra specifically. The second part is dedicated to μηχανία, the ability to contrive. This skill also recurs throughout the play: Theseus regards it as a general (yet ambiguous) feature of mankind in his speech, but it also becomes a prerogative of female characters (Phaedra, the Nurse) and describes their agency on stage.