Mithridate

Name: Mithridate
Author: Jean Racine

By Jean Racine

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French Literature Plays/Films/Dramas

About This Book

The play stages the collapse of a long‑standing ruler's power as external threat, filial rivalry, and a fraught romantic bond converge. Two sons vie for succession and influence while a beloved woman becomes the focus of jealousy and shifting loyalties. Political plotting, concealment, and emotional excess drive a sequence of intense scenes that lead the sovereign to choose a fatal end rather than ignominious defeat. Themes of honor, ambition, deception, and passion intertwine to produce concentrated tragic reversals and moral crisis.

About the Author

Jean Racine

Jean Racine was a prominent French dramatist of the 17th century, known for his mastery of classical tragedy. His works often explore themes of passion, fate, and the complexities of human emotion, drawing heavily from Greek and Roman sources. Among his most notable plays are "Phaedra," which delves into forbidden love and guilt, and "Esther," a biblical tragedy that showcases his ability to blend moral and emotional depth. Racine's influence on French literature and drama is profound, and he remains a key figure in the study of classical theatre.