This play by one of France's greatest playwrights is a magnificent example of character exposition and depiction of powerful spiritual conflicts. Based on Euripides' Hippolytus, Phedra focuses on the title character, Hippolytus' stepmother, who, on receiving false information that her husband, Theseus, is dead, reveals a passionate love for her stepson. It is an act that eventually spells doom for both characters, with Phedra committing suicide and her husband, with the aid of Neptune, destroying Hippolytus. A time-honored classic, the play remains widely performed and studied.