Plays Compared

Paper Summary:

Two plays written far apart in time and place are Racine's version of "Phaedra" and Lillian Hellman's play "The Children's Hour," which show certain similarities in terms of moral themes. It discusses how both plays reflect on issues of good and evil, guilt and innocence, atonement and forgiveness, and, in both cases, center on a case of what society deems to be a "perverted" love that leads to tragedy.

From the Paper:

"The myth of Phaedra, which serves as the starting point for Racine, tells of how Phaedra, the wife of King Theseus, fell in love with Hippolytus, her stepson. She makes her passion known to the young man, and he rejects her. She then revenges herself on him by accusing him of dishonoring her, and this leads to the death of both the young man and Phaedra. Racine uses most of the story from the myth, though he gives that story a somewhat different emphasis as he explores the tragedy of Phaedra and her personality and her obsession."

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