Character Catalog

Racine's first great tragedy, inspired by Euripides and Virgil. It reveals his genius for portraying devastating amorous passions and the fatality that crushes his characters.

A Roman tragedy depicting the criminal youth of Nero. It illustrates the rise of tyranny to power and remains one of the most studied plays in French secondary schools.

A spare tragedy, almost without action, centered on the separation of the Roman emperor Titus and Queen Berenice. It embodies the classical ideal: drawing tears with the minimum of events.

Racine's absolute masterpiece, adapted from Euripides. The story of Phaedra, consumed by a forbidden passion for her stepson Hippolytus, is considered the pinnacle of French classical tragedy.

A biblical tragedy with choruses, written for the pupils of Saint-Cyr. It marks Racine's return to writing after twelve years of theatrical silence.

Racine's final play, drawn from the Old Testament (Kings). Considered by Voltaire and many critics to be his greatest masterpiece, it was not performed publicly until after his death.

Here is another tragedy whose subject is taken from Euripides. I followed a somewhat different path from that of this author in the conduct of the action. I believed that slander had something too base and too dark to place in the mouth of a princess.

That is how I endeavored to make my action plausible. And that is what I most carefully strove to do in this tragedy, where I followed history much more closely than in the others.

I am glad that you write to me sometimes in Latin; it rests me from the French language, and puts me back in the taste for antiquity, without which I do not believe one can produce fine things.

I chose Britannicus as the subject of a tragedy because, being a less well-known character, I had less to fear of clashing with the ideas the reader may have formed of him.

Jansenist abbey where Racine was educated after the death of his parents. This austere community shaped his worldview, marked by notions of grace, sin, and fatality that permeate his tragedies.

Parisian theatre where most of Racine's great tragedies were premiered, notably Andromaque and Phèdre. It was the most prestigious stage in Paris for tragedy.

Royal residence where Racine, in his capacity as historiographer to the king, frequented the court of Louis XIV. His plays were also performed there during grand royal festivities.

Institution founded by Madame de Maintenon for the education of impoverished young noblewomen. Racine had Esther and Athalie performed there, written specifically for the students.

Racine's final resting place, following the transfer of his remains from Port-Royal-des-Champs upon the destruction of the abbey in 1711.

Racine's daily working instrument, with which he composed his tragedies in carefully weighed alexandrines. The quill symbolizes the meticulous labor of the classical writer, devoted to the perfection of every line.

Trained by the humanists of Port-Royal, Racine read the ancient authors in the original text. Euripides was his principal source of inspiration for Phèdre and Andromaque.

Deeply marked by his Jansenist education, Racine drew from sacred texts the material for his last plays, Esther and Athalie, taken directly from the Old Testament.

The lighting of apartments and theatres in the 17th century relied on tallow or wax candles. Racine worked and attended rehearsals by the light of these flickering flames.

An indispensable mark of social distinction at the court of Louis XIV, worn by Racine in his capacity as an official figure and historiographer to the king.

Racine's tragedies were published as small printed volumes, adorned with prefaces that the author himself wrote to defend his dramaturgical choices.