"Phaedra" and "Hippolytus"

Paper Summary:

This paper contains a comparison of two dramatic works from different places and different periods of time. The writer claims that although Racine's "Phaedra" takes the myth behind Euripides "Hippolytus" as its inspiration, the 17th century French play does not adopt the theme of the ancient Greek tragedy into its own dramatic construction or in the characters of its main protagonists. The writer focuses attention on contrasts between the two versions and looks at relationships to the gods and the presence of sexual desires in the characters in the works. In this paper, the writer studies the similarities and differences between the two plays and their characters.

From the Paper:

"In contrast, Racine focuses on the sexual conflicts within the heart of the title protagonist alone. This reflects the shifting focus of modern drama. Rather than focus on the public conflicts between humanity and the gods, and how to create a more just society, now dramatists such as Racine were more interested in human introspection and how humans dealt with personal conflicts, such as a reconstructed family. Also, all of the characters in Racine are torn apart by desire. Hippolyte in Racine also feels love, although not for Phaedra, his stepmother. The thematic difference between the two versions of the ancient myth is evident, as Euripides' tragedy begins, not with the inner reflections of either Phaedra or her stepson Hippolytus, but with a monologue by Aphrodite. Aphrodite was the Olympian goddess of love. Phaedra honors Aphrodite alone, and spurned the chaste goddess Artemis. In contrast, Phaedra's stepson Hippolytus loves to worship Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt and unmarried."

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• Analytical Essay # 9165 : "Phaedra: Greek Tragedy of Jean Rancine"
• Comparison Essay # 138965 : "Classical Drama: "Phaedra"

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