Questions on Euripides’ Hippolytus [tophat, open now; class resumes at 11:03 am]  If you were in the audience of this tragedy, what message would you get out of it regarding the gods?  Which of the two main characters is more appealing to you? Phaedra or Hippolytus? Why?

Hippolytus’ Problem of Evil  Artemisian virginity, keeps oaths, but…  His deeper motives for his virginity: misogyny, self-hatred, father rejection  Phaedra has no control over her Eros, but…acts ‘virtuously’  Gods do not enlighten or redeem humans  Phaedra’s Eros is Hippolytus’ fault, but the suicide is her own

Aphrodite and Eros Thursday February 11, 2016

Questions on Pygmalion [tophat] What are some psychological states, social values, or gender behaviors implicit in the story of Pygmalion? What are some modern expressions of these motifs?

Thoughts on Pygmalion Male attraction to virginal female; staking a claim Male rejection of sexually experienced female Desire to mold and shape according to preference Female silence; immobility; trinkets and baubles The ‘velveteen rabbit’ or ‘Pinocchio’ effect The duality of Aphrodite: sexual extremes No middle ground for female sexuality: virgin, married, prostitute

Question on Venus and Anchises [tophat] What is the gender dynamic between Aphrodite and Anchises? Is the theme of rape connected to this story? Why does Aphrodite lie to Anchises instead of acting like Zeus with Io or Callisto? Since all myths are ultimately stories about human experiences, what are some predicaments in male- female relationships that this story touches upon?

Thoughts on Venus and Anchises Female abstinence = empowering (Athena, Artemis) Female desire, sexuality = compromising (Phaedra) Female Eros for male (Selene, Eos); the irrational factor Female lying about sexual experience; hiding the ‘number’ Female ‘sleeping down’; not corresponding to male Morning after syndrome: regret, rationalizing, attempt to self-justify Male fear of emasculation by female sexuality Female request for discretion

Aristophanes’ Speech on Eros “…and so Zeus moved their genitals to the front and thereby had them reproduce by intercourse, the male with the female. He did this for two reasons: if a man united with a woman they would propagate and the race would survive, but if a male united with a male, they might find satisfaction and freedom to turn to their pursuits and devote themselves to the other concerns of life…here is proof of what I say: only men of this sort proceed to politics when they grow up. Once they are men they love boys and do not turn their thoughts to marriage and procreation naturally but are forced to by law or convention; it is enough for them to spend their lives together unmarried.” “…I am referring to all men and women when I say that the happiness of our race lies in the fulfillment of love (Eros); each must find the beloved that is his and be restored to his original nature.”

Socratic (Platonic) Eros is intermediary: Neither god nor mortal but a ‘spirit’ (daimon) Neither poor nor rich Between happiness and despair Needful but resourceful Between ignorance and wisdom Eros is a collaborative effort for wisdom (=philo-sophia: philia of knowledge)

Levels of Socratic Eros Level One: “humans and animals are part of the immortal, which is beautiful and good; their desire to procreate is the desire for immortality, beauty, and goodness.” Level Two: ‘but as one ascends, he realizes the possibility of producing children of the mind, like the poetic offspring of Homer or Hesiod.” Level Three: “if he meets with a person who is beautiful in his soul, even if he has little of the physical bloom of beauty, this will be enough and he will love and cherish him and beget beautiful ideas that make the young better, so that he will in turn be forced to see the beauty in morals and laws and that the beauty in them all is related.”

Cupid and Psyche Elements of folktale: evil step mother; bad sisters; sorting task; help by animals; happy ending Platonic interpretation: the soul’s (psyche) search for completion (Eros) through inquiry Religious interpretation: the human search for the divine Social interpretation: the pitfalls of marriage and coming of age Anthropological interpretation: hero’s journey

Sappho’s Aphrodite Prayer to Aphrodite to grant lover back: ‘for if she runs away now, soon she will follow; if she rejects your gifts, she will bring you gifts herself; if she does not now, soon she will love, even though she does not wish it.’