Plot and Emotion in Racine’s “Phaedra”

    “I fled his presence everywhere, but found him—
    O crowning horror!—in his father’s features.
    Against myself, at last, I raised revolt,
    And stirr’d my courage up to persecute
    The enemy I loved. To banish him
    I wore a step—dame’s harsh and jealous carriage,
    With ceaseless cries I clamour’d for his exile,
    Till I had torn him from his father’s arms.
    I breathed once more, Oenone; in his absence
    My days flow’d on less troubled than before,
    And innocent. Submissive to my husband,
    I hid my grief, and of our fatal marriage
    Cherish’d the fruits. Vain caution! Cruel Fate!
    Brought hither by my spouse himself, I saw
    Again the enemy whom I had banish’d,
    And the old wound too quickly bled afresh.
    No longer is it love hid in my heart,
    But Venus in her might seizing her prey.”

    — Phaedra by Jean Racine

    Technique

    In Phaedra, Jean Racine uses active verbs to show strong action by a character and lurch the storyline forward.

    The above excerpt should be studied by all writers for its control of language and use of active verbs. Racine never strays from his theme of tragic love, keeping the language in a narrow scope to build an emotional vortex from action-oriented lines. He frequently pairs verbs that stay with the theme, increase the emotional toll, and at times contrast each other for effect, as seen in the examples below pulled from the above excerpt:

    • Line 1: fled, found
    • Lines 3, 4: raised, stirred
    • Lines 5, 6: banish, wore
    • Line 7: cries, clamour’d
    • Lines 18, 19: hid, seizing

    Racine uses active verbs that lead to strong emotional effects and consequences. For example, Phaedra doesn’t simply mistreat; she “persecutes.” Then she says “banish,” “clamours,” “torn,” and “seizing.” These words weigh heavily and lead to deep psychological and emotional effects. Their emotional charge still transfers to the reader from the page and the stage more than 300 years later.

    Use

    • Your choice of active verbs should match your story’s tone and theme. Use verbs for dramatic effect and precise wording. If you’re unsure when to use active verbs, ask yourself:
      • Is there an active verb that is very specific to the sentence, such as a word that’s true to your character and would give them authenticity, or an action that’s best represented by an exact word?
      • Will another strong active verb dilute the scene’s theme, tone, or emotion?
      • Does the active verb keep with the theme and tone you’ve created?
      • Does the active verb propel the story forward?