Phaedra
by Jean Racine · Phèdre
Assigned by 4 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1677
- Form
- Tragedy
- Language
- French
- Length
- Short · 80 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendPhèdre, translated by Ted HughesFarrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998A forceful free-verse version that reads well aloud; Richard Wilbur's rhymed translation is the alternative.
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Phaedra, wife of Theseus, is consumed by a desire for her stepson Hippolytus that she regards as a curse from Venus. When Theseus is reported dead she confesses it; Hippolytus recoils, being himself secretly in love with the captive princess Aricia. Theseus returns alive, and Phaedra's nurse Oenone accuses Hippolytus of the crime. Theseus calls on Neptune to destroy his son, a sea monster does so, and Phaedra takes poison and tells the truth as she dies.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Phaedra are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
