Jean Racine

Jean Racine (1639-99) remains to this day the greatest of French poetic dramatists. Britannicus (1669), the first play in this volume, takes its themes from Roman history: the setting is bloody and treacherous court of the Emperor Nero. Phaedra (1677) dramatizes the Greek myth of Phaedra''s doomed love for her stepson Hippolytus. Athaliah (1691), Racine''s last and perhaps finest play, draws on the Old Testament story of Athaliah, Queen of Judah and worshipper of Baal, who is threatened and finally forced to concede victory to Joash, a son of the house of David and survivor of Athaliah''s massacres.Racine''s tragedies portray characters wrestling with ambition, treachery, religion, and love. In this translation, specially commissioned for The World''s Classics series, C.H. Sisson has captured admirably the lucidity of Racine''s language, both analytic and passionate, and the rhythm of his four-part Alexandrine, a combination that previous translators have consistently failed to achieve. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

U nás méně známá vzrušující tragédie významného francouzského dramatika 17. století Britannicus se odehrává v dramatické době okolo nástupu známého krutovládce Nera k moci. Se svým nevlastním bratrem Britannikem soupeří nejen o moc, ale neméně o lásku jeho milenky Junie. Racine příběh chápe nejen jako tragický osud milenců, ale především jako proměnu uznávaného a mírumilovného mladého císaře Neróna v zrůdného a zločinného vládce. Hra končí slovy: Kéž to byl – proboha – poslední jeho zločin! Vychází v překladu Vladimíra Mikeše jako 192. svazek edice D.

Audiobook ‘600 Quotations from the Great Writers of the 17th Century’ features the wit and wisdom of some of the 17th century’s greatest-ever writers, including Miguel de Cervantes, novelist and scientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, French playwright Jean Racine, and English playwright William Shakespeare, one of the most quoted people in the world.