Scan barcode
A review by benedettal
Phaedra by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
3.0
It’s not that I didn’t like it, maybe I was just a little disappointed (not that I had any right to be). I love Seneca’s Roman sensibilities mixed with his stoic philosophy, a constant in his plays, although perhaps here it felt somewhat misdirected at Phaedra. I have criticised works trying to remove any fault or blame from her, as I firmly believe she is morally grey and ultimately acted out of spite, but in this she is too much of a villain. Lingering on the evil stepmother trope didn’t help in that. The notion that Phaedra was destined to act against the laws of nature like her mother, plus the role of the nurse, who kept pushing her towards being more evil just make her feel too cartoonish.
That is not to say that the writing isn’t beautiful, or that it doesn’t have its moments. I really enjoyed the depiction of Theseus, not a flawless hero, back after having sinned of hubris by going into the underworld, tired and betrayed by the people around him, tricked into killing his son. He’s tragic but there’s no justification for his wrongdoings, which are named and shamed.
Hippolytus is not the gay icon he was in Euripides, he just mostly hates women. At least he’s kind enough to remove himself from the situations he dislikes, but the nurse of all people just taunting him and pushing him under the bus is just unfortunate. He’s tragic because he’s tainted by somebody else’s sin.
The removal of the prevalent role of the gods makes for interesting dynamics, but it also makes everyone suck more. Phaedra lacks the power of Medea (the play), the deeper meanings, the modern sensibilities. It’s good but it’s not perfect.
That is not to say that the writing isn’t beautiful, or that it doesn’t have its moments. I really enjoyed the depiction of Theseus, not a flawless hero, back after having sinned of hubris by going into the underworld, tired and betrayed by the people around him, tricked into killing his son. He’s tragic but there’s no justification for his wrongdoings, which are named and shamed.
Hippolytus is not the gay icon he was in Euripides, he just mostly hates women. At least he’s kind enough to remove himself from the situations he dislikes, but the nurse of all people just taunting him and pushing him under the bus is just unfortunate. He’s tragic because he’s tainted by somebody else’s sin.
The removal of the prevalent role of the gods makes for interesting dynamics, but it also makes everyone suck more. Phaedra lacks the power of Medea (the play), the deeper meanings, the modern sensibilities. It’s good but it’s not perfect.