Henry Carter Hull

Based on Euripides' Hippolytus, this play by one of France's greatest playwrights is a magnificent example of character exposition. When the title character, Hippolytus' stepmother, receives false information that her husband, Theseus, is dead, Phedra reveals a passionate love for her stepson - an act that eventually spells doom for both characters.

In this volume of Racine's plays we find "Mithridates," the eighth of twelve plays by the author. In this drama Racine draws upon the historical figure of Mithridates who is remembered as one of the Roman Republic's most formidable and successful enemies. Having reigned over the kingdom of Pontus, around the Black Sea, Mithridates was famous for having gradually immunized himself to poisons. Popular in its day being a favorite of King Louis XIV, the...

In this volume of Racine's plays we find "Iphigenia, Phaedra, Athaliah," three of the most popular of the author's dramas. In "Iphigenia" we find the titular daughter of Agamemnon, King of the Greeks, who must sacrifice his daughter in order to set sail for war. In "Phaedra," we have the classic story from Greek mythology concerning its titular character who though married to Theseus falls in love with Hippolytus. And finally in "Athaliah" we find...

Collected in this volume is a complete collection of Racine's dramatic works. Written between 1664 and 1691 Racine's plays draw their subject matter from historical events, mythology and the Bible. Presented in this volume are translations by Robert Bruce Boswell of the following works: "The Thebaid," "Alexander the Great," "Andromache," "The Litigants," "Britannicus," "Berenice," "Bajazet," "Mithridates," "Iphigenia," "Phaedra," "Esther," and "Athaliah."...

In this volume of Racine's plays we find "The Litigants," the fourth of twelve plays by the author. Inspired by Aristophanes' "Wasps," Racine removes all political significance in this farce. As the only comedy by Racine "The Litigants" stands apart from his other works. The action of the story revolves around Judge Dandin, who in his old age has begun to go crazy. Hilarity ensues as Leander, Dandin's son, and Petit Jean, a house porter, attempt to...

In this volume of Racine's plays we find "Alexander the Great," the second of twelve plays by the author. As you would expect the drama concerns its titular character and his love for the Indian princess Cleofile. Based largely on the histories of Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus, Alexander finds his pursuit of love of the Indian princess complicated by intrigues between her brother Taxilus and his ally Porus.

In this volume of Racine's plays we find "Britannicus," the fifth of twelve plays by the author. "Britannicus" is the first work by the author to draw upon Roman History for its subject matter. The story concerns Britannicus, the son of the Roman emperor Claudius, and would be heir to the imperial throne. Britannicus's rule would be usurped however by Nero who has desires for Britannicus's fiancée Junia as well. The struggle for power and love are...

First performed in Paris in 1677, Jean Racine's "Phaedra" is the tenth of twelve plays by the author and his last to be based on Greek mythology. Racine, the famed French dramatist and master of dodecasyllabic alexandrine, the 12-syllable poetic meter, was a contemporary of Molière and Corneille. This classic story concerns its titular character, who though married to Theseus, the King of Athens, falls in love with Hippolytus, Theseus' son from his...

Extrait : "Quoique le sujet de cette tragédie ne soit encore dans aucune histoire imprimée, il est pourtant très véritable. C'est une aventure arrivée dans le Serrail, il n'y a pas plus de trente ans..."

Extrait: "ESTHER : Est-ce toi, chère Elise ? O jour trois fois heureux! Que béni soit le ciel qui te rend à mes vœux, Toi qui, de Benjamin comme moi descendue, Fus de mes premiers ans la compagne assidue, Et qui d'un même joug souffrant l'oppression, M'aidais à soupirer les malheurs de Sion ! Combien ce temps encore est cher à ma mémoire!"