Paper Topic:

Jean Racine`s play Phedre

Racine 's Phedre - a Political Play

In his dissertation , entitled Racine 's Imperfect Monarchs : Models of Kingship in Bajazet , Iphigenie and Phedre , Havivah Schwartz rightly pointed out the fact that famous for his attention to the psychological development of his characters , Jean Racine is less well known for exploring politics in his theatre . Indeed , Jean Racine has mostly been interpreted in light of the Greek mythology motifs re-enacted in his plays (hybris , ate ) and in terms of his innovations in form . However , from the point of view of recent critical theories -

br historicism , reception theory , literary hermeneutics - a literary text can be understood only in dialogue with the social , historical or political context in which it emerged . Therefore , this will argue that , besides the Greek mythology repertoire in Racine 's play , there are also a number of elements which provide an oblique commentary to the France , kingship and moeurs of Racine 's time

Jean Racine (1639-1699 ) lived mostly in King Louis XIV 's time . Known as the Roi Soleil , Louis XIV represents the apogee of the Bourbon monarchy through his lavish and ostentatious display of magnificence of power . In a way , it could be argued that Louis XIV forged this image , this mythical figure in his epoch much in the same way the images of ancient heroes were created - through amplified renderings of fabulous exploits and deeds . But this was merely the fazade of Louis XIV 's kingship behind the glamorous and infallible image , there was also a king famous for his extra-marital affairs , for a tyrannical exclusion of families and people who opposed him . Moreover , behind the display of authority and magnificence , there hid a child uncertain of his position , early in life maneuvered by his mother , Maria de Medici , and the prime-minister Mazarin . Another characteristic of the French court in Racine 's time was the intrigue , masterfully represented by Maria de Medici , whose machinations were well-known

Racine 's treatment of kingship in the play is not a traditional one Schwartz summarizes very well the mainstream approach to kingship in seventeenth century French drama : In seventeenth-century French theatre , stage kings generally fulfilled two kinds of roles : the hero-king who was the subject of the tragedy , and what I call the `secondary king ' - that is , a monarch who possesses supreme authority over other characters but is not the explicit focus of the play 's conflict (p . ii . Significantly , Theseus appears very late in the play . His image , and his glorious , heroic rename make his image ever-present , but his physical absence allows perceiving the cracks in the perfect heroic myth . From the beginning of the play , as Hyppolitus converses with Theramenes , we can already witness allusions to the king 's infidelities

THERAMENES

And where , prince , will you look for him

Already , to content your just alarm

Have I not cross 'd the seas on either side

Of Corinth , ask 'd if aught were known of Theseus

Where Acheron is lost among the Shades

Visited Elis , doubled Toenarus

And sail 'd...

6 pages

47.5 KB

Free sing-up