This book is a new reading of Euripides' Hippolytos, a central play for the study of both Euripides and Greek tragedy. Professor Goff approaches the play through the techniques of modern literary criticism, including deconstruction and feminism, bringing new light to this influential text through her analysis of the play's language. She organizes her study around five critical issues: gender, desire, violence, language, and the status of poetry and drama. Throughout she takes care to situate the play within the historical and cultural context of fifth-century Athens. This provocative book will interest classicists and students of drama and literary theory; transliteration of Greek words and a glossary of key terms make it accessible to all.