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christinecc 's review for:
Britannicus
by Jean Racine
(Possibly everything I read now seems better because I keep comparing books to "The Pillars of the Earth." My subjectivity may have suffered some permanent damage. Apologies to Mr. Follett but I am also still waiting on his apologies for inflicting all those weird rape scenes and meticulous boob descriptions on the world.)
In other news: Neron est amoureux!! (Nero is in love) I read all sorts of extracts from this play in school, so it was a lot of fun to experience the full play from an armchair.
That being said, a theatre would be better. This is a very soapy play. Did you ever wonder where that soap opera trope (the one where the bad guy forces one of the good guys to break up with the love interest because the bad guy threatens to kill the love interest) originated? Well I cannot say for sure that it started here, but Racine is the earliest work of literature I've seen include that story idea. And he makes it work! And then fixes it because he's a surprisingly good writer.
The plot in a nutshell is: Nero (emperor of Rome and notoriously spoiled son of Agrippine) kidnaps Junie, his cousin Britannicus's fiancee. Possibly Nero has a sadistic streak but that's not the point. Britannicus is also a valid alternative candidate to the throne, so lots of politics occur where Britannicus tries to use his political heft to get his girlfriend back. Meanwhile, Agrippine (Nero's mother) is pissed because her son (whom she essentially put on the throne) is being a spoiled brat and screening her calls. So she sides with Britannicus to serve her son a slice of humble pie, and the plan does not go well.
Technically Britannicus is the title character, but Racine's introduction (and the play itself) points to a more interesting focus: Nero's origins as a future murderous tyrant. This play isn't about the tinny romance between Britannicus and Junie. It's about how Nero went from beloved son to budding homicidal emperor. Racine explores how a man so powerful can lose all bearings, with a little help from a certain double-agent advisor. Multiple characters attempt to sway Nero's mind, until finally, Nero caves to his most basic instincts of fear, ego, and selfishness. As Racine puts it, Britannicus's death is not significant in and of itself; it matters more because it marks the moment in which Agrippine realizes Nero will one day kill HER, too. It's a much more chilling and interesting play when you read it with that idea in mind. I loved every second of it.
Recommended if you enjoy Roman history, 17th century French plays, and possibly villain origin stories. Honestly it's a very good play and I recommend it to all.
In other news: Neron est amoureux!! (Nero is in love) I read all sorts of extracts from this play in school, so it was a lot of fun to experience the full play from an armchair.
That being said, a theatre would be better. This is a very soapy play. Did you ever wonder where that soap opera trope (the one where the bad guy forces one of the good guys to break up with the love interest because the bad guy threatens to kill the love interest) originated? Well I cannot say for sure that it started here, but Racine is the earliest work of literature I've seen include that story idea. And he makes it work! And then fixes it because he's a surprisingly good writer.
The plot in a nutshell is: Nero (emperor of Rome and notoriously spoiled son of Agrippine) kidnaps Junie, his cousin Britannicus's fiancee. Possibly Nero has a sadistic streak but that's not the point. Britannicus is also a valid alternative candidate to the throne, so lots of politics occur where Britannicus tries to use his political heft to get his girlfriend back. Meanwhile, Agrippine (Nero's mother) is pissed because her son (whom she essentially put on the throne) is being a spoiled brat and screening her calls. So she sides with Britannicus to serve her son a slice of humble pie, and the plan does not go well.
Technically Britannicus is the title character, but Racine's introduction (and the play itself) points to a more interesting focus: Nero's origins as a future murderous tyrant. This play isn't about the tinny romance between Britannicus and Junie. It's about how Nero went from beloved son to budding homicidal emperor. Racine explores how a man so powerful can lose all bearings, with a little help from a certain double-agent advisor. Multiple characters attempt to sway Nero's mind, until finally, Nero caves to his most basic instincts of fear, ego, and selfishness. As Racine puts it, Britannicus's death is not significant in and of itself; it matters more because it marks the moment in which Agrippine realizes Nero will one day kill HER, too. It's a much more chilling and interesting play when you read it with that idea in mind. I loved every second of it.
Recommended if you enjoy Roman history, 17th century French plays, and possibly villain origin stories. Honestly it's a very good play and I recommend it to all.