PHÉDRE
JEAN RACINE
1677…read more

PHEDRE ­ 17TH CENTURY TRAGEDY
Unusual people in unusual situations >
death ­ genre creates expectations
Aristotle & 17th century conventions ­
create pity & fear:
Moral Ambiguity ­ Phedre: we sympathise for
her
Hamartia ­ Error of judgement: Phedre re
Thesee's death
Unity of time & place = believable. References
to other times and places for intensity.
Therefore successful as a 17th century
tragedy…read more

PHEDRE ­ MODERN TRAGEDY
Modern conventions:
Culpability: a guilty hero ­ Hippolyte "mon
crime", and when he refuses to tell Phedre's
secret
Transcendence: the divine ­ Phedre blaming gods
Therefore also works as a modern tragedy ­ a
key to Phedre's success?…read more

VERBAL LANGUAGE
Versification ­ form of 17th century tragedy
Alexandrine: 12 syllable lines, rhyming couplets
Sound patterns:
Terminal rhymes ­ respectueux, incestueux
Repeated sounds ­ flamme funeste
Phonetically memorable & powerful
Rhythm: changes to change mood e.g. Phedre in act 4
­ from control to crumbling re. Hippolyte & Aricie
Shown in sentences over multiple lines ­breathless
Imperative sentence, 1 line = powerful
Imagery: little so appears realistic. Metaphors:
Conventional ­ feu for passion
Unconventional ­ flamme si noire ­ guilty
Monstre ­ 19 references. Mythical vs metaphorical…read more

VISUAL LANGUAGE
Stage directions:
Only 1 explicit: elle s'asseid
Mostly implicit in 17th century ­ suggested in
speech
Theatre of words ­ actions in speech
E.g. Mes genoux tremblants ­ physical
descriptions evoke emotion for Phedre
Same with props:
Prete-moi ton épée ­ action is written
Focus is on the intense dialouges
Does it need to be performed? Can it just
be read?…read more

HINTING AT THE FUTURE
Racine sets up later events in dialogues:
N'allons plus point avant ­ Phedre's impending
death (Also Phedre's 1st appearance ­ contrast's
Hippolyte's lively 1st appearance)
Theramene realising Phedre's hiding something ­
sets up curiosity and suspense
Suspense created by cliff-hangers on each act
Phedre referring to love as a poison reflects her
later poisoning herself…read more