Athalie
Athalie | |
---|---|
Written by | Jean Racine |
Chorus | Daughters of the tribe of Levi |
Characters | Athalie Joad Josabet Salomith Abner Azartah, Ishmael, priests and Levites Mathan Nabal Agar Nurse of Joad |
Date premiered | 1691 |
Original language | French |
Genre | tragedy |
Setting | Jerusalem Temple, a vestibule of the High Priest's apartment, c. 835 BC |
Athalie ([a.ta.li], sometimes translated Athalia) is a 1691 play, the final tragedy of Jean Racine, and has been described as the masterpiece[1][2] of "one of the greatest literary artists known"[3] and the "ripest work" of Racine's genius.[4] Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve deemed it comparable to Oedipus Rex in beauty, with "the true God added."[5] August Wilhelm Schlegel thought Athalie to be "animated by divine breath";[4] other critics have regarded the poetics of drama in the play to be superior to those of Aristotle.[5]
History
After the success of
Plot
was rescued by the wife of the high priest.- Act 1 - Joad, the Jewish high priest, assures Abner, a military officer, that he would support a possible descendant of the king of Judah if he appeared. Then he agrees with his wife Jehoshebath to reveal the existence of Joash and dethrone Athalie, thus bringing the country back to the true religion.
- Act 2 - Athalie goes into the Jewish temple and finds a baby she has seen in a dream. (She does not know that this child is Joash and that he has been brought up by Joad in the Jewish religion.) She asked Joad to bring the child and she invites him to come to live with her at the palace.
- Act 3 - Fearing a plot by Joad, Athalie wants Joash sent as a hostage. The high priest is preparing to proclaim Joash as king to hasten things.
- Act 4 - Joash reveals he is the descendant and successor of the kings of Judah. The priests barricade the Temple.
- Act 5 - Athalie prepares to dislodge the rebels from the Temple. She comes to claim the child. Joad tells her that the child is Joash. Outside, the attackers panic and flee. Joad executes Athalie.
Reception
Athalie was the victim of opposition from moralists at its creation.[
Adaptation
The oratorio Athalia by George Frideric Handel, with libretto by Samuel Humphreys, was based on Athalie.
References
- ^ ""ATHALIE" PLAYED AT HARVARD; Racine's Masterpiece Produced Before a Brilliant Audience in Sander's Theatre -- Gov. Wolcott Present". The New York Times. 7 December 1897.
- JSTOR 379685.
- ^ Racine, J.; Eggert, C.A. (1909). Athalie. Heath. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ a b Racine, J. (1911). Athalie. D.C. Heath & Company. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ JSTOR 1489410.
External links
- Text of Athalie (French)
- Athalie at Project Gutenberg (in English)
- Athaliah public domain audiobook at LibriVox
- Text of Athalie (French and English translation)