How does Hippolytus’s opening monologue set the tone for the rest of the play? Why did Seneca choose to open the play this way?

Discuss the relationship between Phaedra and the Nurse. Why does the Nurse decide to help Phaedra? What ethical values does each character hold? How do the moralities of Phaedra and the Nurse contrast with one another?

Are Hippolytus’s reasons for remaining a virgin presented as virtuous? Why or why not?