Jean Racine: Phaedra and Other Plays

Translated by John Cairncross

October 2015

The three tragedies collected here are Iphigenia, Phaedra and Athaliah, although I would say that only Phaedra is at all tragic and consequently a much more interesting piece than the other two.

Iphigenia The Greek host and their thousand ships, under the command of Agamemnon and bound for Troy, for the last 6 months have been beached on the island of Aulis. The unfavourable winds that keep them there have sowed and breed disquiet among the idle Greeks. The appeasement of the gods, spake the oracle, demands the sacrifice of Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon and betrothed of Achilles. (Surely, Stannis Baratheon’s sacrifice of his daughter is a reference to this myth.)

Phaedra The Queen of Athens is wasting away: while the fate of King Theseus, attendant on some quest, is uncertain, her guilty passion for her step-son Hippolytus grows unbridled. So distraught, news arrives of Theseus’ undoing and Phaedra is persuaded to seize this chance and professes to Hippolytus. She does so and is spurned. But, lo, the King is not dead and is expected to arrive presently.

Athaliah is the Queen of Judah. Reigning for the last eight years, after seizing power for herself by ordering the death of her own grandchildren following the unexpected death of her son, then king, and so ending the line of King David. Unknown to all but the high priest of Jerusalem, a child of the royal line does survive.

Notwithstanding the verse translation, the lines come off quite prosaic. (Would be interested in getting my hands of Robert Lowell’s translation of Phaedra.)

Aside: John Cairncross appears to be an interesting character with an unexpected background.