Phèdre

In Scene 1, Hippolytus says goodbye to Aricia. Aricia does not understand why he would withhold the truth from his father, but Hippolytus does not want to cause Theseus more pain by telling him about Phaedra’s inappropriate feelings. Hippolytus declares his love once more and asks Aricia to run away with him. The two arrange to get married at a temple on the outskirts of Troezen. Hippolytus then leaves as Theseus enters.

In Scenes 2 and 3, Theseus speaks with Aricia about Hippolytus. Aricia confirms that Hippolytus does in fact love her and is confident that the story about Hippolytus’s assault of Phaedra is false. Theseus begins to wonder if he was too hasty in his judgment and, in an aside in Scene 4, he resolves to question Oenone. In the following scene, Panope enters with news that Phaedra is in a state of “violent distress” (220) and that Oenone has ended her life, throwing herself into the sea.

Theseus, realizing that things may not be as they initially appeared to him, decides to recall Hippolytus and asks Neptune to hold off on fulfilling his prayer—but it is too late.