''Phèdre'' (; originally ''Phèdre et Hippolyte'') is a French dramatic
tragedy
Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...
in five acts written in
alexandrine verse by
Jean Racine, first performed in 1677 at the
theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris.
Composition and premiere
With ''Phèdre'', Racine chose once more a subject from
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of ...
, already treated by Greek and Roman tragic poets, notably by
Euripides
Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars ...
in ''
Hippolytus'' and
Seneca in ''
Phaedra
Phaedra may refer to:
Mythology
* Phaedra (mythology), Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus
Arts and entertainment
* ''Phaedra'' (Alexandre Cabanel), an 1880 painting
Film
* ''Phaedra'' (film), a 1962 film by ...
''.
As a result of an intrigue by the
Duchess of Bouillon
There have been duchesses of Bouillon, Belgium, Bouillon, in present-day Belgium, since the tenth century.
Lady of Bouillon
Ardennes-Bouillon dynasty, ?-1100
:''Sold to the Bishopric of Liège''
House of La Marck, ?-1588
House of La Tour ...
and other friends of the aging
Pierre Corneille, the play was not a success at its première on 1 January 1677 at the
Hôtel de Bourgogne, home of the
royal troupe of actors in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
. Indeed, a rival group staged a play by the now forgotten playwright
Nicolas Pradon
Jacques Pradon, often called Nicolas Pradon (1632 – 14 January 1698), was a French playwright. Early in his career, he was helped by Pierre Corneille and was introduced to the salons at the Hôtel de Nevers and the Hôtel de Bouillon by Madam ...
on an almost identical theme. After ''Phèdre'', Racine ceased writing plays on secular themes and devoted himself to the service of religion and the king until 1689, when he was commissioned to write ''
Esther'' by
Madame de Maintenon, the
morganatic second wife of
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Ve ...
.
Characters
Names of characters in French, with their equivalents in English:
* Thésée, or
Theseus, King of Athens
* Phèdre, or
Phaedra
Phaedra may refer to:
Mythology
* Phaedra (mythology), Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus
Arts and entertainment
* ''Phaedra'' (Alexandre Cabanel), an 1880 painting
Film
* ''Phaedra'' (film), a 1962 film by ...
, wife of Thésée, daughter of
Minos and
Pasiphaë
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, Pasiphaë (; grc-gre, Πασιφάη, Pasipháē, lit=wide-shining derived from πάσι (archaic dative plural) "for all" and φάος/φῶς ''phaos/phos'' "light") was a queen of Crete, and wa ...
and sister of
Ariadne
* Hippolyte, or
Hippolytus, son of Thésée and
Antiope, Queen of the
Amazons
* Aricie, or
Aricia, princess of the royal blood of Athens
* Œnone, or Oenone, nurse and confidante of Phèdre
* Théramène, or Theramenes, tutor of Hippolyte
* Ismène, confidante of Aricie
* Panope, lady-in-waiting to Phèdre
Synopsis
The play is set at the royal court in
Troezen, on the Peloponnesus coast in Southern Greece. In the absence of her royal husband Thésée, Phèdre ends by declaring her love to Hippolyte, Thésée's son from a previous marriage.
Act 1. Following Theseus's six-month absence, his son Hippolytus tells his tutor Theramenes of his intention to leave Troezen in search of his father.
When pressed by Theramenes, he reveals that the real motive is his forbidden love for Aricia, sole survivor of the royal house supplanted by Theseus and under a vow of chastity against her will. During her husband's absence, Phèdre has become consumed by an illicit but overpowering passion for her stepson Hippolytus, which she has kept as a dark secret. Close to death and reeling about half-dementedly, under pressure from her old nurse Oenone she explains her state, on condition that she be permitted to die rather than face dishonour. The death of Theseus is announced with the news that his succession is in dispute. Oenone urges her mistress that, since her love for her stepson is now legitimate, she should form an alliance with him, if only for the future benefit of the infant son of her own flesh.
Act 2. With fresh hope for her liberty, Aricia reveals to her maidservant Ismène her feelings towards Hippolytus, who promptly appears to declare his love for her. Their discourse is interrupted by Phèdre, who distraughtly pleads for the rights of her infant son, explaining her coldness and personal despair. Suddenly entering a trance-like state overcome by emotion, she involuntarily confesses her hidden passions to her horrified dumb-struck stepson. Sensing rejection, she leaves in a wild frenzy, demanding Hippolytus' sword to end her torment. Theramenes brings news to Hippolytus that Theseus might still be alive.
Act 3. In desperation Phèdre sends word to Hippolytus inviting him to share the crown of Athens. However, Oenone brings her the devastating news that Theseus has returned in perfect health. To avert Phèdre's deathwish and her possible betrayal by Hippolytus, Oenone urges that a story should be concocted around his abandoned sword. Seeing Hippolytus by Theseus' side, Phèdre grants Oenone free rein. After his long period in captivity, Theseus is surprised by the cold reception from his wife and son, each anxious to conceal their passions: Phèdre, consumed by guilt; and Hippolytus, anxious to distance himself from his stepmother's advances, but unable to tell his father of his love for Aricia.
Act 4. Theseus has just been told by Oenone that Hippolytus has attempted to take Phèdre by force. Overcome by rage, Theseus banishes Hippolytus and invokes the god
Neptune, who has promised to grant any wish of Theseus, to avenge him by his son's death. Protesting his innocence, Hippolytus discloses his secret love for Aricia to his incredulous father and leaves in despair. Fearing that she might be guilty for Hippolytus' death, Phèdre determines to reveal the truth to her husband, until she is told of Hippolytus' love for Aricia. Consumed by jealousy, she refuses to defend Hippolytus further, leaving his father's curse to run its course. When Oenone tries to make light of her mistress's illicit love, Phèdre in a towering rage accuses her of being a poisonous scheming monster and banishes her from her
presence.
Act 5. Hippolytus takes his leave of Aricia, promising to marry her in a temple outside Troezen. On witnessing the tenderness of their parting, Theseus begins to have doubts about his son's guilt. He decides to question Oenone, but it is too late: Oenone has thrown herself to the waves. Theramenes brings news of his son's death: Hippolytus' departing chariot has been interrupted by a terrifying horned monster rising from the waves; mortally wounded by Hippolytus, its death throes drive his horses into a wild frenzy; in their flight, the chariot is dashed against the rocks and their master dragged helplessly to his death. In the closing scene, Phèdre, now calm, appears before Theseus to confess her guilt and to confirm Hippolytus's innocence. She finally succumbs to the effects of a self-administered draught of
Medea
In Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the ...
n poison, taken to rid the world of her impurity. As an act of atonement and in respect for his son's parting promise, Theseus pardons Aricia and adopts her as his daughter.
Phèdre's ancestry and its curse
The genealogy of Phèdre gives a number of indications as to her character's destiny. Descended from
Helios
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Helios (; grc, , , Sun; Homeric Greek: ) is the deity, god and personification of the Sun (Solar deity). His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyper ...
, god of the Sun, and
Pasiphaë
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, Pasiphaë (; grc-gre, Πασιφάη, Pasipháē, lit=wide-shining derived from πάσι (archaic dative plural) "for all" and φάος/φῶς ''phaos/phos'' "light") was a queen of Crete, and wa ...
, she nevertheless avoids being in the judgmental presence of the sun throughout the play. The simultaneous absence of a god-figure combined with the continual presence of one has been extensively explored in
Lucien Goldmann's ''Le Dieu caché''. This sense of patriarchal judgment is extended to Phèdre's father,
Minos, who is responsible for weighing the souls of the dead upon their arrival in
Hades.
Phèdre is right to fear judgment; she is driven to an incestual love for her stepson Hippolytus, much like the other women in her family, who tended to experience desires generally considered taboo. Her mother, Pasiphaë was cursed by
Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion (emotion), passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman god ...
to fall in love and mate with a white bull, giving rise to the legendary
Minotaur. Phèdre meets
Theseus, her future husband, when he arrives on the Minoan scene to kill her monstrous half-brother, the
minotaur.
Reception
''Phèdre'' has been widely regarded as masterly, due to its tragic construction, deeply observed characters, richness of the verse, as well as the interpretation of the title role by
Marie Champmeslé
Marie Champmeslé (''née'' Desmares; 18 February 1642 – 15 May 1698) was a French stage actress.
Biography
She was born in Rouen of a wealthy family; her father's name was Desmares. She made her first appearance on the stage at Rouen with ...
.
Voltaire called it "the masterpiece of the human mind." Contrary to Euripides, Racine has Phèdre die on stage at the end of the play; she thus has had time to learn of the death of Hippolyte. The character of Phèdre is considered one of the most remarkable in Racine's tragic
oeuvre
Oeuvre(s) or Œuvre(s) may refer to:
* A work of art; or, more commonly, the body of work of a creator
Books
* ''L'Œuvre'', a novel by Émile Zola
* ''Œuvres'', a work by Emil Cioran
* ''Œuvres'', a work by Auguste Brizeux
* ''Oeuvres'', a wor ...
. The instrument of others' suffering, she is also the victim of her own impulses, a figure that inspires both terror and pity.
Certain lines from the play, such as "" ("the daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë"), have become classics in the French language; but despite the celebrated musicality of the alexandrine, Racine never wrote poetry just for the sake of beauty of sound. In the character of Phèdre, he could combine the consuming desire inherited from her mother with the mortal fear of her father,
Minos, judge of the dead in
Hades. Despite its author's silence from 1677 to 1689, as time progressed ''Phèdre'' became one of the most famous of his plays. It is now one of the most frequently staged tragedies from the seventeenth century.
In his work ''Le Dieu caché'', the 20th century author
Lucien Goldmann extrapolates social theories of the role of the divine in French consciousness from thematic elements in ''Phèdre''. Although ''Phèdre'' is perhaps less often studied at high school level in France than ''
Britannicus'' or ''
Andromaque'', it is still frequently performed, and the eponymous role has been played by actresses such as
Sarah Bernhardt and
Isabelle Huppert.
Adaptations
Stage
The French
baroque composer
Jean-Philippe Rameau's first
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...
''
Hippolyte et Aricie'' (1733) was based on Racine's ''Phèdre'' as was
Simon Mayr's 1820 opera ''
Fedra Fedra may refer to:
* , ship which hit the rocks in Gibraltar in 2008
* Italian for Phaedra
* ''Fedra'' (Mayr), 1820 opera by Simon Mayr
* ''Fedra'' (Pizzetti), 1915 opera by Ildebrando Pizzetti, based on a 1909 play of the same name by Gabriele ...
''.
The British poet laureate
Ted Hughes produced a highly regarded
free verse translation of ''Phèdre''. This version was staged shortly before his death with
Diana Rigg playing the title role. Another English production of the Hughes translation premiered at the
Royal National Theatre in June 2009, with a cast including
Helen Mirren as Phèdre,
Dominic Cooper as Hippolytus, and
Margaret Tyzack as Oenone. This production was digitally telecast live to cinemas around the world.
A new translation by
Timberlake Wertenbaker premiered at the
Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Autumn 2009.
The Polish composer
Krzysztof Penderecki announced that he was working on an opera of Phèdre for 2014.
Novels
In the nineteenth century,
Émile Zola loosely based ''
La Curée
''La Curée'' (1871–72; English: ''The Kill'') is the 2nd novel in Émile Zola's 20-volume series Les Rougon-Macquart. It deals with property speculation and the lives of the extremely wealthy Nouveau riche of the Second French Empire, again ...
'', one of his books from the ''
Rougon-Macquart'' series (an exploration of genealogical and environmental influences upon characters) on Racine's ''Phèdre''.
Marcel Proust devotes 20 pages of ''
In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower'' to his experience of ''Phèdre'' at the
Opéra-Comique in Paris.
Translations
Robert Lowell's English translation ''Phaedra'' was published in 1961.
Robert David MacDonald's English translation, titled ''Phedra'', was produced at
The Old Vic in November 1984, designed and directed by
Philip Prowse and with
Glenda Jackson in the title role and
Robert Eddison as Theramenes.
[ ]
''Phèdre'' was translated by Scottish poet
Edwin Morgan (1920–2010) into
Scots
Scots usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
* Scots language, a language of the West Germanic language family native to Scotland
* Scots people, a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland
* Scoti, a Latin na ...
in 2000, and won the 2001
Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize.
Selected editions
*
* (English translation by J. Cairncross)
* (English translation by
Wallace Fowlie)
* (English translation by Charles Sisson)
* (English translation by Julie Rose)
* (translated into English verse by
Richard Wilbur)
Notes
External links
Phaedra (Phèdre): A Study GuideText of play, in French
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phedre
Plays by Jean Racine
1677 plays
Plays based on ancient Greek and Roman plays
Cultural depictions of Theseus
Plays set in ancient Greece
Tragedy plays
Phaedra
Plays based on works by Euripides
Plays based on classical mythology
Works based on Hippolytus (play)