Is “Phaedra” a tragedy of passions?

Answer

Do you agree that Seneca’s Phaedra is full of moral discourse? [NU: 2018]

Or, Is “Phaedra” a tragedy of passions?

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 B.C.–65 A.D.), a Roman Stoic philosopher and dramatist, wrote “Phaedra” around 50 A.D. The play is based on the Greek myth of Phaedra’s forbidden love for her stepson Hippolytus. It is a tragedy of passion, guilt, and moral conflict. Seneca shows how passion destroys reason and how guilt leads to death. The play is full of moral thoughts, warnings against lust, and lessons about the control of emotion and desire.

Conflict between Passion and Reason: The main theme of “Phaedra” is the struggle between passion and reason. Phaedra knows her love is sinful, but cannot control it. She says, 

“Passion forces me to take the worser path.” 

This shows how emotion rules her mind. She wants to resist but fails. Seneca’s moral lesson is clear—when passion becomes stronger than reason, it brings ruin. Through Phaedra’s suffering, he teaches that reason must guide the heart. The play warns that blind desire leads to guilt, shame, and death.

Phaedra as the Victim of Passion: Phaedra is both guilty and pitiful. Her love for Hippolytus is unlawful, yet she is not fully evil. She cries, 

“A malady feeds and grows within my heart.” 

The image of sickness shows that passion is like a disease. Phaedra does not want to sin, but her emotion burns too deeply. Her final suicide proves how passion can destroy both mind and body. Seneca presents her as a victim of desire and moral weakness. Thus, her passion becomes her punishment. 

The Moral Voice of the Nurse and Chorus: Seneca’s “Phaedra” is full of moral advice through the Nurse and the Chorus. The Nurse warns, 

“Whoever at the outset has resisted and routed love, has been safe and conqueror.”