The Project Gutenberg EBook of Phaedra, by Jean Baptiste Racine

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Title: Phaedra

Author: Jean Baptiste Racine

Translator: Robert Bruce Boswell

Posting Date: October 30, 2008 [EBook #1977]
Release Date: November, 1999

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHAEDRA ***

Produced by Dagny, and John Bickers

PHAEDRA

By Jean Baptiste Racine

Translated by Robert Bruce Boswell

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
"Phaedre," 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 reade