Phaedra 2

What importance does the character Oenone play in "Phaedra"?

Without Oenone in "Phaedra," many of the play's main events would not have taken place.  For example, all of this play's main events and actions were based upon Phaedra confessing her love and longing for Hippolytus.  If it were not for Oenone, Phaedra probably would not have confessed to her guilt.  Oenone got Phaedra to confess by saying "My lady, by the tears which stain my face,/And by your trembling knees which I embrace,/Enlighten me; deliver me from doubt" (370).  Also, when Phaedra and Hippolytus are talking, Oenone warns her that someone is coming and that she cannot be seen with Hippolytus or she will be disgraced (381); by Oenone doing this, she is helping Phaedra commit to her crime and she instigates it because she never at once tried to stop Phaedra from confessing her love to Hippolytus. Oenone is also the reason that Hippolytus gets put to exiled and then killed because she told Theseus that it was Hippolytus who came onto Phaedra confessing his love for her.  It is also when Oenone commits suicide that Theseus believes that something strange is happening and that his son was telling the truth; when Theseus finds out Oenone is dead and that Phaedra wants to die too he tells Panope to bring back his son so that he could clear his name and tell the truth because he was willing to listen, but it was too late (399).  Oenone served as the instigator in the play, and without her many of the main events would not have taken place.  She serves a major role in the play's plot.

What are the universal struggles/motifs that make "Phaedra" timeless?

One major struggle/motif that was seen in "Phaedra" and also can be seen in modern times is selfishness.  Phaedra, especially displayed a sense of selfishness throughout the play.  For example, she confessed her love for Hippolytus, but yet when she found out Theseus was not dead and that he was returning home, she got Oenone to say that she had done no wrong and that it was in fact Hippolytus who confessed his love for her (388).  She got Oenone to do this to her because she was selfish and did not want Theseus to not the crime she had committed.  Along with that comes another struggle/motif that one can also see in modern times, blame.  Just like Phaedra got Oenone to put the blame on Hippolytus, in modern times one can often see people putting blame on another person for something that they truly did, but did not want to face the consequences.  Another major struggle/motif that was in "Phaedra" and can be seen in modern times is jealousy.  When Phaedra is talking to Oenone about Hippolytus being in love with Arcia, she truly portrays a sense of jealousy when she says "No, no, their bliss I cannot tolerate,/Oenone.  Take pity on my jealous hate./Arcia must die" (394).  In modern times, jealousy can also often be seen in the same sense that it took place in "Phaedra"; when there is someone who longs for another person who is already in love, the person longing often will be jealous of their longing's lover.  Although "Phaedra" was written in 1677, many of the same struggles/motifs can still be seen in modern times.