Jean Racine, Iphigénie [Iphigenia]

Jennifer Row (Boston University)

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 Aug 1674

Places

France (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play
Tragedy

Resources

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Iphigénie,

Jean Racine’s eighth tragedy,was given a unique honour: rather than being staged at Versailles after preliminary performances in Paris, it debuted directly at the king’s court. Designed to be part of a week of festivities celebrating the French re-annexation of the Franche-Comté region, the play premiered on 18 August 1674 in the Orangerie of Versailles to high acclaim. In his

Les Divertissements de Versailles

, André Félibien gives an eyewitness account of the play’s lavish garden setting: crystal candelabras interspersed with orange trees, marble fountains, gilded statutes, greenery and flowers in porcelain vases. The play, featuring Racine’s own mistress and muse, La Champmeslé (Marie Desmares) in the title role, met with considerable success both at court and…

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2940 words

Citation: Row, Jennifer. "Iphigénie". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 March 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4399, accessed 21 November 2024.]

Jean Racine, Iphigénie [Iphigenia]

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