Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 4, 2025
The refinements, conceits, extravagant flattery, politeness, and stately manners of the Grand Monarque, shine through every line. Achilles makes love to Iphigenia as if she were in the marbled gardens of Versailles; the passion of Phèdre for Hippolyte, is the refined effusion of modern delicacy, not the burning fever and maniac delirium of Phædra in Euripides.
But it seems that from the atavistic source whence he inherited his beautiful hands, there survived in him an instinct which craved in woman the indefinable quality that he could never meet, the quality which was common to Melisande and Phedre and Rosalind and Fedora and the child-wife of David Copperfield. It is, as I have indicated, the ladies who bid him bonsoir.
Much has been written about the premature interruption of Rossini's career after the appearance of Guillaume Tell. It has been compared with Racine's life after Phèdre. The failure of Phèdre was brutal and cruel, which was added to by the scandalous success of the Phèdre of an unworthy rival. Racine's friends, the Port Royalists, did not hesitate to make the most of the opportunity.
There is the jealous, terrific Hermione; the delicate, melancholy Junie; the noble, exquisite, and fascinating Bérénice; there is Roxane with her voluptuous ruthlessness, and Monime with her purity and her courage; and there is the dark, incomparable splendour of Phèdre.
Very touching in her invocation to her "old Corneille," Mademoiselle Gontier was superb at the moment when the comedienne, knowing at last who is her rival, quotes from Racine that passage in 'Phedre' which she throws, so to speak, in the face of the patrician woman: . . . . Je sais ses perfidies, OEnone! et ne suis point de ces femmes hardies Qui, goutant dans la crime une honteuse paix, Ont su se faire un front qui ne rougit jamais.
"Hippolitus, in all the beauty of youth and innocence, repels the perfidious accusations of his step-mother; the hero, Theseus, still protects his guilty spouse, whom he encircles with his conquering arm. There is in the countenance of Phèdre, a trouble which freezes the soul with horror; and her nurse, without remorse, encourages her in her guilt.
My godfather explained to me that in olden times this was the way people loved each other, and when I remarked that Phedre appeared to love in a better way than that, he took me by the chin and said: "Just look at this naughty child. She is pretending not to understand, and would like us explain to her...." This was simply idiotic.
He went to the strangers' gallery when there was any debate of importance, and tried to give his mind to politics, with a faint idea of putting himself up for Holborough at the next election. But, as Phedre says, "Quand ma bouche implorait le nom de la deesse, j'adorais Hippolyte;" so Mr.
While the orchestra was playing the Overture of Phèdre et Hippolyte, a young Muscadin, pointing his cane at the bust, shouted: "Down with Marat!" and the whole house took up the cry: "Down with Marat! Down with Marat!" Urgent voices rose above the uproar: "It is a black shame that bust should still be there!" "The infamous Marat lords it everywhere, to our dishonour!
She certainly displayed a semblance of sensibility, and, notwithstanding the disadvantages of her person, produced such an effect on the senses of the debauched Parisian youth by the libidinous manner she adopted in the scene where Phedre declares her unconquerable passion for her son-in-law Hippolyte, that her success was complete.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking