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Introductory Note
Introductory Note
Jean Baptiste Racine, the younger contemporary of Corneille, and his
rival for supremacy in French classical tragedy, was born at Ferte - Milon,
December 21, 1639. He was educated at the College of Beauvais, at the great
Jansenist school at Port Royal, and at the College d`Harcourt. He attracted
notice by an ode written for the marriage of Louis XIV in 1660, and made his
first really great dramatic success with his "Andromaque." His tragic
masterpieces include "Britannicus," "Berenice," "Bajazet," "Mithridate,"
"Iphigenie," and "Phedre," all written between 1669 and 1677. Then for some
years he gave up dramatic composition, disgusted by the intrigues of enemies
who sought to injure his career by exalting above him an unworthy rival. In
1689 he resumed his work under the persuasion of Mme. de Maintenon, and
produced "Esther" and "Athalie," the latter ranking among his finest
productions, although it did not receive public recognition until some time
after his death in 1699. Besides his tragedies, Racine wrote one comedy, "Les
Plaideurs," four hymns of great beauty, and a history of Port Royal.
The external conventions of classical tragedy which had been established
by Corneille, Racine did not attempt to modify. His study of the Greek
tragedians and his own taste led him to submit willingly to the rigor and
simplicity of form which were the fundamental marks of the classical ideal. It
was in his treatment of character that he differed most from his predecessor;
for whereas, as we have seen, Corneille represented his leading figures as
heroically subduing passion by force of will, Racine represents his as driven
by almost uncontrollable passion. Thus his creations appeal to the modern
reader as more warmly human; their speech, if less exalted, is simpler and
more natural; and he succeeds more brilliantly with his portraits of women
than with those of men.
All these characteristics are exemplified in "Phedre," the tragedy of
Racine which has made an appeal to the widest audience. To the legend as
treated by Euripides, Racine added the love of Hippolytus for Aricia, and thus
supplied a motive for Phaedra`s jealousy, and at the same time he made the
nurse instead of Phaedra the caluminator of his son to Theseus.
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