What Drives Phaedra to Welcome Death?
Phaedra is a notable literary work by Lucius Annaeus Seneca. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of Phaedra.
Answer
What drives Phaedra to welcome death?
In “Phaedra” (290 AD) by Seneca (4 BC-AD 65), Phaedra’s journey towards death is denoted by her intense inner turmoil. Her guilt over falsely accusing Hippolytus, the pain of unrequited love, and the devastating consequences of her lies all lead her to fetal death. She believes that death is the only solution to find peace and escape from her suffering.
Devastating Guilt: Phaedra is crushed by guilt after falsely accusing Hippolytus of attempting to seduce her. She is unable to bear the weight of her actions. Her guilt becomes unbearable, making death the only escape for her. She says,
I have lied to you, and the crime which, crazed with passion,… I falsely charged to him.
Unfulfilled and Forbidden Love: Phaedra’s love for Hippolytus is forbidden. When Hippolytus rejects and curses her love, she feels no meaning in life, which drives her to welcome death.
Consequences of Her Lies: Phaedra’s deception brings Hippolytus’s death and her family’s ruin. Realizing that her actions have destroyed innocent lives, she sees death as a way to atone for her sins.
Let me appease thy shade; take the spoils of my head, and accept this lock torn from my wounded forehead.
By this, Phardra expresses her guilt toward Hippolytus, whom she falsely accused of sexually abusing her. Her tragic end highlights unchecked emotions, and deceit can lead not only to personal downfall but also to the ruin of those around her.
In Phaedra, Seneca masterfully portrays the destructive power of unbridled passion and guilt. Phaedra’s embrace of death is the ultimate result of her forbidden desires, false accusations, and moral collapse. Intense guilt, unrequited love, and the consequences of betrayal drive Phaedra to welcome death.