Background Information:

            Phaedra is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine. It was first performed on January 1st 1677 in the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was to be Racine's last profane tragedy before a silence of 12 years, during which he devoted himself to the service of religion and the king.

           As time progressed, however, Phèdre became one of the most famous of Racine's plays and is now one of the most frequently staged tragedies from the seventeenth century.

Text Objectives:  

Objective 2.  To evaluate "the greatness of tragedy" (handout) as the supreme genre in western culture and art.

Essential terms:

foreshadowing

compare / contrast with other basic narratives: comedy, romance,

Problem and Issues:

Oedipus Complex- Phaedra is in love with Hippolytus, her stepson.  This is a no no.

Hippolytus is in love with Aricia- Hippolytus feels guilty because she is a prisoner/slave.

Theme:

Guilty pleasures- Phaedra= Hippolytus 

                               Hippolytus= Aricia

Comparison to Euripides’s Hippolytus:  

Does not open with Aphrodite’s speech

There is not a Chorus

Phaedra tells Hippolytus herself about her feelings

Hippolytus does love someone

Oenone creates lie about Hippolytus

Quotes and Lines Taken from Text:

Pg. 11- lines 11-13 and 21-23, Phaedra blames Aphrodite

Pg. 14- lines 28-31, Oenone gives suggestion to Phaedra

Pg. 20- starting on line 5, Hippolytus reveals his guilt in loving Aricia

                ** I fail to find my former self.

                    My bow and Javelins please me no more, my chariot is forgotten** (WOW)

Pg. 22- “His Guardian god is Neptune, ne’er by him invoked in vain”-

                Foreshadowing????

Pg. 23- Phaedra confesses to Hippolytus her love for him

Pg. 30- “You fear him? Venture to accuse him first” Oenone’s idea

Pg. 39- “Aricia” Phaedra hears that Hippolytus loves Aricia

Discussion Questions:

1.   What difference does it make on the play not to have Aphrodite’s speech like Hippolytus does? 

2.   Does your opinion on Hippolytus change, now that we know he can love? Is he likeable? Does the play become more of a romance?

3.   What is the effect of Phaedra revealing her feelings to Hippolytus? What is the effect when Oenone tells Theseus the lie about Hippolytus? 

4.   And what about Phaedra still being alive??