FEDRA | I EDIZ. 1981 | JEAN RACINE

Phèdre (titled Fedra in Italian) is a neoclassical tragedy by Jean Racine, written in 1677. It explores the agonizing internal conflict of Queen Phèdre, her illicit and obsessive love for her stepson Hippolytus, and the devastating consequences when concealed desires clash with duty and honor. In the Italian translation by Giuseppe Ungaretti (1981), the verse maintains its classical rhythm and tragic intensity, rendering Phèdre’s sense of guilt, fatal passion, and ultimate redemption with both linguistic fidelity and poetic finesse. The tragedy’s moral ambiguity—she is neither entirely guilty nor totally innocent—reflects the Jansenist sensibility of human fallibility and divine justice. The translation amplifies the emotional resonance of the original, highlighting the psychological depth and tragic beauty of Racine’s verse through Ungaretti’s lyrical mastery.