Esther (drama)
Esther is a tragedy in three acts by the French poet Jean Racine, with music by Jean -Baptiste Moreau. The premiere took place on January 26, 1689 in Finishing School of Saint-Cyr.
The plot is based on the biblical book of Esther. The play takes place in Susa, in the palace of the king Ahasuerus.
Action
The prologue is sung by an allegory of piety. It contains a eulogy of King Louis XIV and Madame de Maintenon, the Contracting Authority of the piece.
Esther tells a familiar friend, as she became a royal favorite, after they had uncovered with the help of her adoptive father Mordechai, a conspiracy against the king. At this moment, Mordecai brings the news that King Ahasuerus issued on the advice of Haman a decree that all Jews should be killed in the Persian Empire in the coming days.
Haman, a descendant of the Amalekites, a court official confesses his hatred for Mordecai, after he has repeatedly denied that the proper respect and is never knelt before him. Meanwhile, Ahasuerus has learned that Mordecai saved him from a conspiracy years ago. The king instructed Haman, Mordecai this occasion to grant a triumph. Esther to save her people and invites the king and Haman to a dinner at his home.
In conversation with his wife Haman ashamed that he had to witness the Jew Mordecai honor. Nevertheless, he looks at the invitation of the Queen as an homage. Esther confesses to the king against their Jewish origin. Your people harbor towards him no conspiracy intentions, and Haman wanted to destroy it for personal revenge intentions. When Haman the queen begs for mercy, and throwing her feet, the enraged king sentenced him to death, and appoints Mordecai as his successor. The piece closes with a prayer of thanksgiving sung the chorus.
Genesis
Since the performance of Phèdre in 1677 to Racine had turned away from the theater and performed his office as a chronicler and historian of Louis XIV Madame de Maintenon, who came from an impoverished nobility, won in these years a growing influence at court. She married the Sun King in 1683 from the public and opened in 1684 in Saint- Cyr near Versailles, an educational institution for destitute female nobles. When she asked Racine to write a piece with a biblical theme, the poet laureate could not ignore this request. In his preface he explains here the first time to realize his long -cherished intention to combine as in the old Greek tragedies, the chorus and the song with the plot.
The performance in Saint- Cyr, in which all roles were played by young actresses, was a success. Soon after, Madame de Maintenon was another biblical tragedy in order. Athalie, the last play of Racine, was listed in 1691.