In classical Greek mythology, Phaedra is the daughter of King Minos of Crete and Pasiphaë, and is the wife of Theseus. Due to a divine plan set into motion by Aphrodite, Phaedra falls in love with Hippolytus, Theseus’ son from another marriage, bringing about the destruction of both individuals. These themes of incest, fate, and adultery are all present in Desire Under the Elms. This play can be shown to have been influenced greatly by classical representations of this myth.
Desire Under the Elms is an exploration by O’Neill of Greek theatre. Set in New England in 1850, this tragic play tells the story of the adulterous, and incestuous relationship between Abbie Putnam and Eben Cabot. Ephraim Cabot, a widower with three sons, abandons his farm …show more content…
In the surviving Euripides play Hippolytus, Phaedra is portrayed as passive towards her fate, and fights the sexual appetites opting for suicide in the end saying “. This is in contrast to Phaedra, in which she actively peruses Hippolytus’ affections. She openly proclaims her love for Hippolytus and says “ ‘Tis burning love scorches my maddened heart […] See, a kings daughter lies fallen at thy knees [...] [w]ithout sport or stain, pure, innocent, I am changed for thee alone” (Phaedra, lines 640-666). The portrayal of Phaedra by Seneca seems to largely influence Abbie’s character, who is open about her desire and pursuit of Eben. She makes her intention, very clear at the start of Part Two, Scene One which takes place two months after her arrival at the farm she says “Ye been fightin’ yer nature ever since the day I come – tryin’ t’ tell yerself I hain’t purty t’ ye. Hain’t the sun strong an’ hot? Ye kin feel it burnin’ into the earth – Nature – makin’ thin’s grow – bigger ‘n’ bigger – burnin’ inside ye […]”.
Desire Under the Elms differs from the classical representations in that there is no Nurse character, rather the nature of the nurse and the cynicism attributed to the nurse, in each representation, is taken into account for in the Phaedra character, Abbie. In fact, in Hippolytus, it is the nurse that urges Phaedra to divulger her feelings to Hippolytus “you cannot withstand Cypris [Aphrodite] …show more content…
Though more present in O’Neill’s interpretation, Ephraim only serves as a clueless pawn for most of the play. Generally he feels, misunderstood and lonely in his own home so he chooses to sleep in the barn with the cows because “[he] kin talk t’ the cows. They know. They know the farm an’ me. They’ll give me peace.” (O’Neill, 36). Only once it is revealed that the child is not his, but in fact Eben’s, that Ephraim takes an active role in the punishment of Eben for the incestuous adultery. As is consistent with previous representations, Ephraim attempts to kill Eben, however it is by his own hands and not by the summoning of Poseidon/Neptune as in the Hippolytus and the Phaedra
Desire Under the Elms is an exploration by O’Neill of Greek theatre. Set in New England in 1850, this tragic play tells the story of the adulterous, and incestuous relationship between Abbie Putnam and Eben Cabot. Ephraim Cabot, a widower with three sons, abandons his farm …show more content…
In the surviving Euripides play Hippolytus, Phaedra is portrayed as passive towards her fate, and fights the sexual appetites opting for suicide in the end saying “. This is in contrast to Phaedra, in which she actively peruses Hippolytus’ affections. She openly proclaims her love for Hippolytus and says “ ‘Tis burning love scorches my maddened heart […] See, a kings daughter lies fallen at thy knees [...] [w]ithout sport or stain, pure, innocent, I am changed for thee alone” (Phaedra, lines 640-666). The portrayal of Phaedra by Seneca seems to largely influence Abbie’s character, who is open about her desire and pursuit of Eben. She makes her intention, very clear at the start of Part Two, Scene One which takes place two months after her arrival at the farm she says “Ye been fightin’ yer nature ever since the day I come – tryin’ t’ tell yerself I hain’t purty t’ ye. Hain’t the sun strong an’ hot? Ye kin feel it burnin’ into the earth – Nature – makin’ thin’s grow – bigger ‘n’ bigger – burnin’ inside ye […]”.
Desire Under the Elms differs from the classical representations in that there is no Nurse character, rather the nature of the nurse and the cynicism attributed to the nurse, in each representation, is taken into account for in the Phaedra character, Abbie. In fact, in Hippolytus, it is the nurse that urges Phaedra to divulger her feelings to Hippolytus “you cannot withstand Cypris [Aphrodite] …show more content…
Though more present in O’Neill’s interpretation, Ephraim only serves as a clueless pawn for most of the play. Generally he feels, misunderstood and lonely in his own home so he chooses to sleep in the barn with the cows because “[he] kin talk t’ the cows. They know. They know the farm an’ me. They’ll give me peace.” (O’Neill, 36). Only once it is revealed that the child is not his, but in fact Eben’s, that Ephraim takes an active role in the punishment of Eben for the incestuous adultery. As is consistent with previous representations, Ephraim attempts to kill Eben, however it is by his own hands and not by the summoning of Poseidon/Neptune as in the Hippolytus and the Phaedra