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Jean Racine (1639–1699)

Author of Phaedra

Includes the names: Jean Racine, Jean Racine, זאן ראסין, Jean Baptiste Racine, Jean-Baptiste Racine

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Jean Racine is considered the greatest of French tragic dramatists. If Shakespeare's (see Vol. 1) theater is characterized by exploration and invention, Racine's is defined by restraint and formal perfection. His themes are derived from Greco-Roman, biblical, and oriental sources and are developed in the neoclassic manner: keeping to few characters, observing the "three unities" defined by Aristotle (see Vols. 3, 4, and 5) as essential to tragedy (i. e., unity of time, place, and action), and writing in regular 12-syllable verses called "alexandrines." In contrast to Corneille, whose theater is eminently political and concerned with moral choices, Racine locates tragic intrigue in the conflict of inner emotions. He is a master at exploring the power of erotic passion to transform and pervert the human psyche. As a Jansenist who believed that a person deprived of grace was subject to the tyranny of instincts, Racine was interested in portraying human passions---particularly the passion of love---in a state of crisis. Racine is also one of the greatest of all French poets, and his plays are a challenge to any translator. His major tragedies include Andromaque (1667), Britannicus (1669), e Berenice (1670), Iphigenie (1674), and Phedre (1677). (Bowker Author Biography) — biography from Phaedra… (more)
Phaedra (Author) 1,902 copies, 28 reviews
Andromache 653 copies, 7 reviews
Britannicus 357 copies, 6 reviews
Bérénice 254 copies, 6 reviews
Iphigénie 169 copies, 3 reviews
Athaliah 138 copies, 4 reviews
Théâtre complet 134 copies, 1 review
Bajazet 91 copies, 3 reviews
The Classic Theatre; Volume IV: Six French Plays (Contributor) 77 copies, 1 review
The Suitors 72 copies, 3 reviews
Esther 64 copies, 1 review
2 Plays: Andromache / Phaedra 61 copies, 2 reviews
Mithridate (Author) 39 copies, 2 reviews
Theatre II (French Edition) (Author) 26 copies
Fransk klassisk drama 16 copies, 1 review
Teatro 9 copies
Racine, Andromaque 7 copies, 1 review
Classical French theatre (Contributor) 4 copies
FEDRA Y OTRAS TRAGEDIAS 3 copies, 1 review
Cid * Phaedra 2 copies
Fedra 1 copy
ANDROMAKA 1 copy
Andrómaca 1 copy
Britânico 1 copy
BAYAZIT 1 copy
Zbój 1 copy
Œuvres 1 copy
Ouvres 1 copy
Procederen 1 copy
Thatre 1 copy
Théâtre complet (Author) 1 copy
Theatre I 1 copy
Theatre II 1 copy
Mithridate (Author) 1 copy
Tragedie 1 copy
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Jean Racine (1639-1699) est un dramaturge, poète et tragédien classique français majeur.
Il naît le 22 décembre 1639 à la Ferté-Milon en Picardie dans une famille de moyenne bourgeoisie. Il perd sa mère à l'âge de deux ans et son père à quatre ans.. Il étudie, à partir de 1649 à Port-Royal-des-Champs puis fait un passage au collège de Beauvais, haut lieu du jansénisme, à Paris et retourne aux Granges de Port-Royal-des-Champs pour l’année de rhétorique. Il est en classe de philosophie au collège d’Harcourt, à Paris en 1658.
Il débute dans l'écriture avec La Thébaïde en 1664, joué par la troupe de Molière, poursuit et connaît un triomphe avec Andromaque en 1667. Cette réussite en fait l'égal et le rival de Corneille tant auprès du public que de Louis XIV qui en fait un favori majeur. Dès lors, sa promotion sociale et économique est assurée. Il est élu à l'Académie française en 1672, anobli en 1674 et atteint la gloire avec Phèdre en 1677.
Devenu courtisan du roi, Racine délaisse alors la Poésie. Suivent ainsi des tragédies commandées notamment par Mme de Maintenon, des historiographies, cantiques et oeuvres dramatiques plus tournées vers la morale austère du jansénisme.
Il meurt le 21 avril 1699 à Paris et est inhumé à Port-Royal-des-Champs. Après la destruction de l’abbaye en 1711, ses cendres sont transférées à l’église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, à Paris.

La critique et la postérité consacre au cours des siècles Racine, avec Molière et Corneille, comme dramaturge majeur des Lettres classiques françaises. Universellement reconnu dans le domaine de la littérature, il est et reste l'un des auteurs les plus joués.
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