Hippolytus; The Bacchae

Euripides brings his sharp eye for human frailty to the story of Hippolytus, a young prince devoted to the hunt and the goddess Artemis. When the goddess of love, Aphrodite, feels spurned, she sets a dangerous chain of events in motion, pitting duty against forbidden passion. The play unfolds in the court of Trozên, where honor, loyalty and the whims of the divine clash, creating a tense atmosphere that pulls listeners into the characters’ inner turmoil.

In the companion tragedy, The Bacchae, the god Dionysus returns to his native city to claim the worship he believes is his right. His arrival ignites a fierce conflict between the orderly rule of King Pentheus and the intoxicating, ecstatic rites of his followers. Euripides explores the thin line between civilization and wild, irrational force, offering a vivid portrait of ancient belief that still resonates today.