- Phaedra (mythology)
:"This article is on the mythological figure. For other meanings, see
Phaedra ."InGreek mythology , Phaedra is the daughter ofMinos , wife ofTheseus and the mother ofDemophon andAcamas .Though married to Theseus, Phaedra fell in love with Hippolytus, Theseus' son born by
Antiope , queen of theAmazons . According to some sources, Hippolytus had scornedAphrodite to become a devotee ofArtemis and Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him as a punishment. He rejected her. Alternatively, Phaedra's nurse told Hippolytus of her love, and he swore he would not reveal her as a source of information. In revenge, Phaedra wrote Theseus a letter that claimed Hippolytus raped her. Theseus believed her and cursed Hippolytus with one of the three curses he had received fromPoseidon . As a result, Hippolytus' horses were frightened by a sea monster and dragged their rider to his death. Alternatively, after Phaedra told Theseus that Hippolytus had raped her, Theseus killed his son and Phaedra committed suicide out of guilt for she had not intended for Hippolytus to die.Artemis later told Theseus the truth. In a third version, Phaedra simply told Theseus this and did not kill herself;Dionysus sent a wild bull which terrified Hippolytus' horses.Phaedra in literature
Phaedra's story appears in several major works of literature, including:
*
Euripides , "Hippolytus", a Greek play
*Seneca the Younger , "Phaedra", aLatin play
*Jean Racine , "Phèdre " (1677), a French play.
*Miguel de Unamuno , "Fedra " (1911), a Spanish play
*Tony Harrison , "Phaedra Britannica" (1975), an English verse play.
*Per Olov Enquist , "Till Fedra " (1980), a Swedish play
* Matthew Maguire, "Phaedra" (1995), an English play
*Sarah Kane , "Phaedra's Love " (1996), an English play
*Robinson Jeffers , "Cawdor " (1928), an English long poem
*Algernon Charles Swinburne , "Phaedra," an English lyrical drama
* Mary Renault, "The Bull from the Sea," an English novel
*Susan Yankowitz "Phaedra in Delirium " (1998)Phaedra in music
Phaedra is also the subject of a number of musical works, including:
* "Phaedra",
Benjamin Britten , 1976
* "Phaedra", anopera byHans Werner Henze , 2007
* "Phaedra",Tangerine Dream , 1974
* "Some Velvet Morning ",Nancy Sinatra andLee Hazlewood
* "Some Velvet Morning",Roland S. Howard andLydia Lunch
* " Some Velvet Morning, "Slowdive [http://www.musicstack.com/slowdive/discog.html#eps"]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=REFdA7yS_8M Primal Scream, Some Velvet Morning w/Kate Moss as Phaedra]
* "Phaedra's Meadow",Blue Rodeo
* she appears as a character in "L'abandon d'Ariane ", an "Opéra-Minute" byDarius Milhaud , 1927References
*
Virgil , Aeneid VI.445;Ovid , Metamorphoses XV.497
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