Acclaimed by Voltaire as "the masterpiece of the human mind," Racine's 17th-century drama is based on Euripides' tragedy Hippolytus. The French playwright employs powerful language that brings new life to the ancient mythological tale of a queen whose incestuous passion for her stepson ignites an emotional firestorm of guilt, shame, and jealousy that consumes many lives. Translation by Wallace Fowlie.
Author Biography
Dramatist Jean Racine (1639-1699) is renowned for his mastery of French classical tragedy. Racine modeled his plays after the ancient Greek and Roman traditions, reinvigorating the classics with an emphasis on his characters' consciousness rather than their actions. His plays were enormously successful, and he retired from the theater at the height of his powers to serve as royal historiographer in the court of Louis XIV.
