Phèdre

Phèdre is a play by Jean Racine, first published in 1677. Inspired by ancient Greek mythology and earlier classical tragedies, this powerful work of French drama explores the destructive consequences of forbidden love, guilt, and fate. Racine, one of the greatest playwrights of the French classical theatre, is celebrated for his psychological depth and elegant verse, and this tragedy is widely regarded as his masterpiece.

The story centres on Phèdre, the wife of the Athenian king Theseus, who becomes consumed by a forbidden passion for her stepson Hippolytus. Tormented by shame and fear, she struggles to conceal her feelings, confiding only in her nurse Oenone. Meanwhile Hippolytus secretly loves the noblewoman Aricia, a relationship complicated by political tensions and the uncertain fate of Theseus, who is believed to be dead. As secrets are revealed and misunderstandings deepen, the characters are driven toward catastrophe.

Blending classical Greek themes with the refined style of 17th-century French theatre, this mythological tragedy examines desire, honour, jealousy, and moral responsibility. Racine’s tightly structured drama and emotionally charged language create a powerful study of human weakness and tragic inevitability, making it a cornerstone of classical literature and a defining example of French tragic drama. Phèdre remains one of the most enduring and influential tragedies in the Western literary canon.

This is a translation by Robert Bruce Boswell.