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Phaedra - Racine, Jean

Download Phaedra free in PDF, EPUB. Level C1.

"Phaedra" by Jean Racine is a French dramatic tragedy written in 1677. Set in ancient Greece, it explores forbidden passion when Queen Phaedra conceals her consuming love for her stepson Hippolytus during her husband Theseus's absence. When news arrives that Theseus may be dead, secrets begin to unravel with devastating consequences. As desires collide with duty and accusations fly, the play hurtles toward a catastrophic conclusion driven by jealousy, misunderstanding, and an invoked divine curse that no one can escape.

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Categories: French Literature Plays/Films/Dramas

Readers: Adults Teens

Suggested age: 14+ (AI estimate)

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Reading guidance

Level C1

Language difficulty is an AI estimate based on sampled text.

Reader and content guidance is an AI estimate based on the title, author, source summary, contents and selected excerpts. Unseen portions have not been assessed.

Recommended age: 14+ (AI estimate)
Themes of incestuous desire, shame, death-seeking and a graphically described fatal accident need conceptual maturity. 14+ is for supported reading with context on myth and tragedy; independent enjoyment of the verse and moral conflict is more realistic at 16+. Based on named-book metadata and selected excerpts; unseen text was not assessed. This is guidance, not an official age rating; individual reading ability varies.

Source: Project Gutenberg · Public domain in the USA.

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