Lying In Euripide's Hippolytus

There comes a time when a doctor, minister or politicians and an individual will tell a lie. It could be a white lie or big lie; most people almost generally resort to lying in certain situation. Often times a lawyer will lie in order to protect his client, or vice versa, a client will tell a lie in order to avoid being incarnated. There are many situations an individual will be placed in, and at some point in a person’s life they will need to tell a lie. Is it appropriate to lie? This is what Sissela Bok writes about in Lying: Moral choice in Public and Private Life. Bok acknowledges that despite numerous religious and moral statements against lying, people will still lie in certain situations. She will discuss and

In the classic dystopian novel, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, there are many rules to keep the Community in order, and most of these rules can be broken in one simple, yet unthinkable way, lying. These rules are made to keep everyone safe, but everyone seems to be almost brainwashed. They would never think to do something as daring as lying to have a little freedom in life. Throughout The Giver, by Lois Lowry, the theme of lying is shown constantly, proving that their world isn’t as perfect as it seems.

Plato gave support for some lies when he said: "It is the business of the rulers of the city, if it is anybody's, to tell lies, deceiving both its enemies and its own citizens for the benefit of the city; and no one else must touch this privilege."(1)

In the essay The Ways We Lie, author Stephanie Ericsson writes in depth about the different types of lies used by most people everyday. While listing examples of them, Ericsson questions her own experiences with lying and whether or not it was appropriate. By using hypothetical situations, true accounts, and personal occurrences, she highlights the moral conflicts and consequences that are a result of harmless fibs or impactful deceptions. In an essay detailing the lies told to ourselves and others, Ericsson points out one bold truth; everyone lies. Through her writing, Ericsson causes the reader to look into how they’ve lied in the past and how to effects others and the general greater good of society.

Have you ever wondered why it can be so hard to tell the truth, or why it seems better to tell a lie? In both F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Rob Marshall’s Chicago, characters lie because they feel that it is easier. However, lying leads to a downward- spiral. The society we live in can either lead us to a complicated relationship with the truth or easy going. The problem with constantly telling lies is that it starts off with one then leads to another until everything you say is a lie. People know it is easier to tell lies than face the truth because they are either doing it for money, or protection for themselves, people they love, or relationships. Yes, telling lies can help but imagine the damage you’re building up on the way. Nobody likes liars and liars can be found anywhere, even families lie to each other. Relationships are just like thin pieces of paper that make small tears to it every time a lie is told. The paper can be put back together but it will never be the same or be seen the same.

Lying is evolving into normalcy. Since there are several types of lying, there are loopholes and ways that people defend themselves for telling untruths. For example, we tell lies in order to evade trouble or consequences but tell ourselves that it is better or easier that way. Ericsson claims, “We lie. We all do. We exaggerate, we minimize,

Deception is defined by Merriam Webster as “an act or statement intended to make people believe something that isn’t true”. It is often viewed as a malevolent act. Deception, as malevolent as some people may perceive it to be, may also be administered to obtain information useful for one’s own benefits when employed in the correct situation. Different individuals utilize deception in different ways and some successful individuals are able to employ disguises to their own advantage. Odysseus, the cunning main character in the Odyssey, utilizes deception in justifiable situations, including life and death scenarios and self-benefitting situations, without harming innocent bystanders.

Randy, from the novel Alas, Babylon, was taught at a young age that lying is unforgivable in all circumstances and there will never be an exception to a lie. I can personally relate to this because my dad had taught me the same thing. Always as a child the worst punishments came with lies and I never dared to tell a lie. My father told me that I would get in much more trouble if I lied about what I did. He told me no matter what I will get a lighter punishment for telling the truth. So as a kid, I learned to tell the truth and be a trustworthy person.

    In ancient Greece the females were considered to be conniving and deceiving whisperers, and men almost never trusted their wives.  The ideal woman was an obedient and placating wife.  They believed that the female should be strong but still yield to the power of the male in charge, whether it was older brother, father, or husband.  Euripides often used females in uncommon ways; he did not simply show them as complacent animals.  Women in Euripides' plays were used for social commentary.  They were not just simple characters; they could be both agathos and kakos.  The females in the works of Euripides were extremely strong and devious and they were loyal but at the same time

Speaking truthfully is a very important part of living ethically. The Bible has very strong feelings against lying as seen in this book of Psalms. If someone knowingly tells someone that they intend to do something, but know that there is no

The characters of all three stories are placed into situations beyond their control, burdened with choices that can either benefit or worsen their situations depending on how they choose to act. In Hippolytus, Phaedra’s curse to fall in love with her stepson Hippolytus frames Phaedra’s problem because cheating on her husband to be with Hippolytus would ruin her reputation beyond repair but not acting on her new feelings eats at Phaedra’s heart. Even if she were to accept the bad reputation and cheat on her husband, Phaedra knows that Hippolytus would never reciprocate her feelings for he believes that “woman is an evil” (688) that he would rather live without.

those of the other two great masters. His art, it has been said, is tamer than theirs, and

Socrates idea seems to show such hatred towards this lie. He is not a big fan towards immoral words and his dialogue proves his point well.

Emotions No matter how hard you try, you cannot control your emotions, only attempt to hide them. Emotions influence every aspect of our lives, what we do, what we say, and et cetera. All of our emotions, from anger to insecurity, are influenced by several factors, just as our lives are influenced by our emotions (Gelinas, Emotions 35). First of all, it causes problems when one does not trust himself, and it shows up in many ways.

The Hippolytus is a great example of how when everyone tries to do the right thing it can still end up terribly wrong. Phaedra knows that her desires are wrong, so she decides to take the more accepted, but still gruesome, way out of her feelings, The Nurse doesn’t want to see her mistress die so she seeks help, Hippolytus is disgusted at the news, but keeps his oath to not tell anyone, and Theseus gets very angry and casts out the “murderer” just like anyone else would. Even though there is a lot of drama and controversy throughout the play, at its roots, it is a play about taboo desires and how they can affect our lives. I think that psychoanalysis is the best method to interpret this tragic story due to, Phaedra’s’ shift in interests throughout the play, Theseus’ attitude during the climax of the play, and the main plot focusing on sexual desires that are too taboo to society.