The plot centers on Phaedra, wife of King Theseus of Athens, who suffers in secret from an overwhelming and shameful passion for her stepson, Hippolytus. Believing Theseus to be dead, Phaedra confesses her torment to Hippolytus, who reacts with horror and rejection. When Theseus unexpectedly returns alive, Phaedra's nurse Oenone panics to protect the queen's reputation and falsely accuses Hippolytus of attempting to violate the queen.
Blind with rage, Theseus banishes his son and invokes a curse from the god Neptune to destroy him. Meanwhile, Hippolytus has fallen in love with Aricia, the surviving heir of a rival royal house, intending to flee with her. Refusing to reveal Phaedra's shameful secret to defend himself out of respect for his father, Hippolytus meets his doom when a monstrous bull emerges from the sea during his departure, terrifying his horses and dragging him to his death.
Upon learning of her stepson's horrific fate, remorse overtakes Phaedra. She exposes the falsehood of the accusations, dismisses her nurse, and ingests a fatal poison. The tragedy concludes with a grieving Theseus recognizing his tragic error too late, mourning his innocent son, and embracing Aricia as his own daughter in deep repentance.
