Hippolytus Lesson Plan

The Blame Game

Kind of Activity:

Classwide Discussion

Objective:

To have students analyze the meaning of the play, focusing on the moral implications.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.5, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1

Structure:

The ancient Greeks were fascinated by questions of ethics and morality. The plays of this time reflect their preoccupation, including Hippolytus.

Morally speaking, none of the major characters in Hippolytus is blameless. Each one is responsible to some extent for the overall tragedy that occurs. This activity will determine which character deserves the most blame—in a moral sense—according to your class.

Start with a list of the...