The Early Modern Period Women 17th Century

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When Hyppolytus is compared to Phaedra and Oenone, he is seen as distinctive and noble. Though he is falsely accused of adultery by his father, he tries to appeal to reason. Hyppolytus controls his emotions and tries to convince his father, in a respectful manner, that he is innocent. Out of respect for his father, Hyppolytus takes the blame saying, “Are incest and adultery the words You cast at me? I hold my tongue” (Racine 4). Hyppolytus is banished by his father for crimes that he had not committed. He obediently left his father’s land without another word. He even visits Aricia one last time to tell her what had happened and asked for her hand in marriage. He promised to meet her later that day for a final farewell however his unexpected death surprised everyone. Instead of committing suicide due to emotions like Oenone and Phaedra, Hyppolytus died fighting a sea monster. His final moments were courageous and heroic.

In the early modern period women are seen as beings who were both physically and intellectually inferior when compared to men. Society sought to control women so they do not become destructive. Contemporaries believed that women were, “easy prey to evil and thus becoming the vehicle for men’s ruin” (Lopez et al. 1). One solution that they sought was marriage. Marriage allowed men to morph their wives into obedient puppets in which they could control. Women who opposed me were seen as “dangerous women”. Men warned about these “dangerous women” in several literary works during this time. Soon these “dangerous women” who were responsible for the demise of men were known as femme fatales. In Racine’s play, Oenone’s and Phaedra’s actions leads Hyppolytus to be exiled from his father’s side. Phaedra’s decisions throughout the play caused chaos in the lives of all those who were close to her. For example, Oenone commits suicide, Theseus loses both his wife and son, Hyppolytus dies, and Aricia loses the man she loves. These women falsely accused Hyppolytus of adultery and incest even though the true culprit was Phaedra. These women’s cunning words and repressed secrets reinforce the stereotype of a femme fatale during the early modern period.

Works Cited

Hunt, Lynn, et al. The Making of the West. 4th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012.

Lopez, Maritere, et. al. "Early Modern Period." Women in World History : MODULE 4. Center for History and New Media, n.d. Web. 11 July 2017.

Racine, Jean. "Phaedra." Gutenberg. John Bickers, 30 Oct. 2008. Web. 11 July 2017.

Klin, George. CliffsNotes on Phaedra. 11 Jul 2017