by Jonathan Campbell

Created on: May 25, 2007

"More sinned against than sinning", a line penned by the famous William Shakespeare in his tragic play "King Lear", aptly describes many protagonists from literature of any time period. This quote is defined by the New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy as meaning "an expression used of those who, though they may be guilty of wrongdoing, think themselves a victim of a more serious wrong"(New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy). Perhaps allowing use of the term "innocent victim" one who is more sinned against than sinning almost always draws sympathy from the reader and is used by authors mainly to justify a sin committed by the protagonist. This statement can be considered relevant to the predicaments of Phaedra, Hester Prynne, Tess, and Constance Chatterly, in the novels that we read this semester.

Phaedra having been cursed with a love for her own stepson suffers greatly in the play titled "Hippolytos" written by Euripides, a Greek playwright of around 400 BCE. Married to Theseus, but loving Hippolytos, Phaedra eventually hangs herself, leaving behind a note for all to see accusing Hippolytos of rape in order to save her own modesty. Because of this accusation Theseus returns and curses his son's name to Poseidon, Theseus' father, who arranges Hippolytos' death. He sends a bull from the sea, to scare the horses carrying Hippolytos ultimately dragging him to his death. In the beginning of the play the reader (or viewer) is told by Aphrodite that she intends to punish Hippolytos because he ignores her statue, however it is not believed that it was her intent to also punish Phaedra so harshly as well. Aphrodite states, "That son of Theseuscalls me the vilest of deities. Love he scorns, and, as for marriage, will none of itI will this very day take vengeance on Hippolytos"(Euripides). Our first introduction of Phaedra is one of despair and sadness; she is sick and wanting death. She yells wildly at her nurse, begging to be taken to the wild where "the hounds pursue the prey, hard on the scent of dappled fawns" (Euripides).
Phaedra is introduced as already being in pain and torment; this makes it an easy case to argue that she is "more sinned against than sinning". It seems as though she has no chance of happy life from the very beginning of the play. This scene (Phaedra under care of her nurse) also allows the reader to see the relationship between Phaedra and her caretaker, which proves to be important later on in the play. After this particular scene Phaedra's nurse

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