Phaedra as
an unrequited love.
Phaedra is one of the most wonderful creations of Seneca which
contains the story of a lady who is burning with a forbidden passion. The play
was named after the name of the protagonist of the play who falls in an illicit
love with her stepson Hippolytus. Several elements can found in Phaedra, which make it as an unrequited
love. To consider Phaedra as an unrequited love, we should go through the play.
The play starts with the
lamentation of Phaedra who is in wretched condition because of her husband who
left her to help his friend to the underworld. It is a common believe that no
one can come back from there. She has
become alone. She cannot sleep or take rest. She does not find any interest in
dancing. What she figures out is a lawless passion in her mind. She has
understood that, she is in love with her stepson Hippolytus. Unreason driving
her to this unlawful passion and she cannot control it. Because, everything is
under controlled by love god Cupid. She cannot do anything against him. So, she
lost control over her mind. Now, she is determined to get her love at any cost.
She does not care about the people, world and her husband. She just wants to
make love with Hippolytus. Nothing can stop her from fulfilling her wicked
desire. She loves her own stepson Hippolytus, which is not concern to her.
Whatever she knows that she loves Hippolytus and she will get him at any cost.
The nurse, who is the most
important person in Phaedra’s life and the only guard come to know about the unlawful
passion of Phaedra. She advises her to wage war against her unlawful passion.
Shake it off before engulfing. Once she accepts it could not come back. Her
passion is an unpardonable sin. This cannot happen and consequence of this love
is horrible. He says Phaedra-
“Cleanse your pure heart at once of such evil thoughts”
Stand up to love and rout him
At the first assault, that is the surest way
To win without a fail.”
In order to bring Phaedra in the right path the Nurse spends
some moral lessons. But, nothing can make her sooth. She says-
“Unreason drives me into evil,
I walk upon the brink with open eyes,
Wise counsel calls, but I cannot turn back
To hear it.”
She has become deaf and blind. Infact, the Nurse tries to
understand her saying that royal pride abhors correction. But, she is unchanged
and crying for her illicit passion. At last, The Nurse says-
“Do you want to be common spouse of
father and son”?
All the efforts of the Nurse go in
vain. Evil wins finally. When Phaedra is determined to commit suicide, she
agrees to help her in this matter. Then she goes to the most stubborn young man
Hippolytus who is a misogynist. Nurse urges him to quit way of life that he
maintains. His life is worthless. He should not sleep alone. He needs a
companion. The nurse invites him technically to come back to the city and enjoy
the life. But, her words cannot touch the ears of Hipplytus. He says that he is
happy what he has. He does not want more than it. He wants to end his life with
nature. By this way he can stay off from the unpardonable sin done by the city
dwellers. By this time, Phaedra comes and falls in the ground. Hippolytus lifts
her and takes her in his arms. The wickedness of phaedra’s mind has been
started. She uses different ways to express her love to Hippolytus. But,
everytime she is unsuccessful. At last,shaking
off all her shame Phaedra proposes her love to Hippolytus.
Hearing this Hippolytus has become crazy. He instantly refuses her
proposal and curses her for this kind of wicked thinking. Hippolytus wants to
cut her into pieces but he changes his
mind instantly when he hears that she wants to die at his hand.
Then the Nurse make a plot to cover the crime
of Phaedra. She accuses Hippolytus in the way that he attempts to rape his
step-mother.
By this time, Theseus comes back
from the underworld unexpectedly. He
comes to know the fact that his lovely wife Phaedra wants to take her life
away. When he wants to about the culprit, Phaedra tells him to see the sword
that the rapist left. Then he makes sure that the rapist is no one his only son
HIppolytus. Then he makes his last wish to destroy Hippolytus. According to his
wish HIppolytus was killed by the monster
and after his death this play reaches to its climax. Phaedra cannot bear the death of Hippolytus and commit suicide.
So if we consider the whole story
of this play we can find that Phaedra is the story of an unrequited love. Phaedra,
the central character of the play loves HIppolytus, but she does not get her
love back. Hippolytus loves his father, but he does not get the expected behave
from his father and finally killed by him. And the Nurse who loves Phaedra does
not get it back. So, it is clear that Phaedra is the story of an unrequited
love.
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