Customer Reviews

Phèdra

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Racine, and neo-classic French tragedy in general, have a pretty limited following, particularly in translation, and this is an enormous pity. Readers have difficulty accepting the strict forms of the genre and, sadly, miss the exquisite dramatic poetry that, in my judgement, stands at the same level of achievement as the best of the ancients, Shakespeare, and other masters of tragic art. As George Steiner has argued, this becomes recognizable when one accepts Racine's forms on their own terms, since "The the total action of a neo-classic play occurs inside the language".

Hughes' wonderful translation of Phedre does justice to Racine's language, and should go some distance to exposing the glories of this work to new generations of English readers and audiences. The style is spare, urgent, evocative, and also conveys the necessary restraint that was characteristic of Racine, and made his treatment of tragic events all the more powerful. Of course, we no longer have Hughes to do comparable justice to Andromaque, Berenice, Iphigenie and Racine's other masterworks. But other strong English translations are out there. Hopefully, exposure to Hughes' rendering of Phedre, important in itself, will increase readership and performance (and further translations) of the others.

"Phedre: A Play" is a taut, terrific translation of Jean Racine's neo-classical tragedy based on Euripides' Euripides' Hippolytus (Focus Classical Library) In the Greek original, uptight, prudish Hippolytus' repression is personally punished by Aphrodite herself. Racine, however, changed it with his Christian/Jansenist sensibilities. The main focus is the guilt-ridden Phaedra, who longs for her stepson Hippolytus. Hippolytus, in turn, longs for the captive Aricia, who is forbidden from marrying. It's a complicated love triangle mixed with political intrigue and sexual repression. It's a god-haunted world where Theseus can call on Neptune to destroy his son, and Phaedra feels that she cannot escape her father, Minos, the judge in the underworld.

Poet laureate Ted Hughes, who himself experienced tremendous personal tragedy Sylvia, brings this French tragedy to poetic life. He brings the passion and power to life. It doesn't fit the French original verse-by-verse, but he still does it justice. Despite the formalities and conventions of French neo-classical tragedy, he gives it Greek fire.

"Phedre" is a true classic.

It is not possible to read Ted Hughes' Phedre casually. I am currently rehearsing to perform the play and I find that if I ever try to just read it sitting down, I get cramps in my neck. The play is that intense. Like a flexed muscle, every moment of Phedre is taut with raw power. The play is extremely challenging to perform, but I think that any actor or audience member will find the catharsis enormous. Even those most wary of the "classics" will be sent reeling from Phedre.