Roman Tragedy VII: Seneca’s Hercules Furens, or the Only Man Who Can Beat Hercules

Posted byTriumvir ClioPosted inRoman Tragedy, The Romans

Juno has plans for Hercules, and they aren’t good. But then, are they ever?

Discussion Prompts

  1. How does immortality affect the relationship between Juno and Jupiter? How does it affect Juno’s reactions to Jupiter’s, shall we say, indiscretions?
  2. Would Amphitryon and Theseus have been able to stop Hercules from killing himself? Why or why not?
  3. Does this play improve upon Euripides’s Heracles? How? Or why not?
  4. AP Credit: How does Seneca reference earlier Roman poets? How might the knowledge a Roman audience have had affect how they view the events of this play?
  5. What are the places in this play where Seneca demonstrates a stoic restraint of passions?

Published by Triumvir Clio

I have a BA in History and Classical Civilization from Loyola University Chicago and an MPH from Western Michigan University. I've been a geometry teacher, a religion teacher, a writing tutor. I'm a writer, a knitter, a dancer, a singer, an actor. And, yes, for fun I like to reread everything that was assigned while getting my classics degree.

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