Artemis Character Analysis in Hippolytus

Artemis is the goddess of hunting, and she also represents chastity. Hippolytus has devoted his life to worshipping her, manifest in the crowns of flowers that he makes to adorn her statue onstage. When she finally appears at the end of the play, she confesses that a law among the gods had prevented her from interfering with Aphrodite’s machinations. Still, she vows revenge, and gives establishes a cult in Hippolytus’s honor after his death.

Artemis Quotes in Hippolytus

The Hippolytus quotes below are all either spoken by Artemis or refer to Artemis. 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:

Desire, Sexuality, and Chastity Theme Icon

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Oxford University Press edition of Hippolytus published in 1992.

I have brought you this green crown,
Goddess, fresh from the scene
Where I spliced its flowers together,
A meadow as virginal as you are…

Related Characters: (speaker),

Related Symbols: ,

Page Number and Citation: 112-115

Explanation and Analysis:

Daughter of Leto, you who were
Closest to me, my friend, my hunting partner,
Now I will go in exile
From radiant Athens.
I say goodbye to my city…

Related Characters: (speaker),

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 1710-1713

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: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 1974-1977

Explanation and Analysis:

And the maidens’ spontaneous songs
Will dwell on you with endless care.
And fame will find musical words
For Phaidra’s terrible love for you,
And that too will be known.

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 2159-2163

Explanation and Analysis:

Artemis Character Timeline in Hippolytus

The timeline below shows where the character Artemis appears in Hippolytus. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...sees the palace doors, in addition to two statues, one of Aphrodite and another of Artemis. Aphrodite herself appears to the audience, high above the stage, to address the audience and... (full context)

...is that Hippolytus has gone so far his chastity and worship of the virginal goddess Artemis that he rejects the divine power of desire, or Aphrodite herself. In order to take... (full context)

...the huntsmen and the chorus of Troizenian women in a poetic hymn in praise of Artemis. To complete the prayer, he places a crown of flowers on the statue of Artemis,... (full context)

...he urges Hippolytus to worship the statue of Aphrodite standing next to the one of Artemis, lest he appear arrogant to that powerful goddess. Hippolytus responds cruelly and spurns Aphrodite before... (full context)

Truth, Falsehood, and Reputation Theme Icon

...of her status, but Phaidra goes on to elaborate that she wants to hunt alongside Artemis. (full context)

...have seen unfold. The Koryphaios, speaking for the rest of the Troizenian women, swears by Artemis. That done, Phaidra hints at her next moves. She will die – that much is... (full context)

...At last, Theseus orders Hippolytus gone. As Hippolytus exits, he utters a goodbye prayer to Artemis and asks his friends to accompany him to the edge of the country. (full context)

...say, will he enjoy hunting with his chariot, playing his lyre, or making wreaths for Artemis, and the maidens of Troizen will miss the games in which they struggled to keep... (full context)

...the chorus sings a brief song to Aphrodite, recognizing her power over all things. Then Artemis, high above the stage, appears suddenly. The goddess wastes no time telling the truth: Phaidra... (full context)

When Theseus cries out in anguish, Artemis continues to accuse him. Instead of conducting an investigation with a level head, she says,... (full context)

...turns to Theseus, he invokes an unspecified ancestral crime as the reason for his suffering. Artemis speaks to him, praising his “noble generous mind”, and Hippolytus feels moved to hear her... (full context)

Artemis promises to take revenge on Aphrodite by shooting one of Aphrodite’s most beloved mortals with... (full context)