Jean Racine, Bajazet

Sophie Capmartin (Tulane 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 1672

Places

France (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play

Resources

Racine’s seventh play, Bajazet, was premiered at the Hôtel de Bourgogne in the first week of January 1672 and immediately became a sensation. Shortly thereafter, the famous aristocrat and epistolary writer Mme de Sévigné commented on her eagerness to see the tragedy that had created such a commotion and excited the admiration of so many theatre-goers: “Du bruit de Bajazet mon âme importunée fait que je veux aller à la comédie” [Because of the rumours about Bajazet, my disquieted soul makes me want to go to the theatre] (Correspondance, 1:415). This excitement can be partially explained by the shift in Racine’s dramaturgical approach compared with his previous work, Bérénice, in 1670. Moving away …

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2202 words

Citation: Capmartin, Sophie. "Bajazet". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 August 2016 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6433, accessed 16 April 2024.]

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