Jean Racine, Andromaque [Andromache]

Véronique Desnain (University of Edinburgh)

Ed. by Julia Prest, University of St Andrews
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.03: French Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century: Classical and Baroque, 1600-1700.
Vol. editors: Heather Kirk (University of Western Ontario), Kathrina LaPorta (New York University), Polly Mangerson (DePaul University), Julia Prest (University of St Andrews), Allison Stedman (University of North Carolina, Charlotte), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1667

Places

France (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play
Tragedy

Resources

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Andromaque

(1667) is a five-act tragedy by Racine, written in rhyming Alexandrine couplets. It was Racine’s third play after

La Thébaïde

(1664) and

Alexandre le Grand

(1665).

Andromaque

marks both the author’s consecration as a tragic playwright and his split with Molière, who had supported his early career. The first performance took place in November 1667 in the private chambers of Queen Marie-Thérèse and the reception at court was enthusiastic. The first public performance, two days later, by the troupe of the Hôtel de Bourgogne (known as Les Grands Comédiens) made official the split between Racine and Molière’s troupe at the Palais Royal, who had performed his first two plays. The eponymous heroine was played by Mademoiselle Du Parc (or Marquise-Thérèse de Gorla)…

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2513 words

Citation: Desnain, Véronique. "Andromaque". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 April 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6659, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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