Mithridate (Root)

See also: Mithridate

Mithridate is a Tragédie in five acts (respectively comprising 5,6,6,7 and 5 scenes) and in worms (1698 Alexandrin S) of Jean Racine.

Created the January 13rd 1673 with the Hotel of Burgundy, Mithridate succeeds Bajazet and precedes Iphigénie in work by Root. The subject is drawn from the old story. Mithridate VI Eupator (132-63 av. J. - C.) reigned on the Pontus, around the Black Sea. Famous to be itself gradually accustomed with the poisons by mithridatisation , it resisted the Romains a long time, going until imagining a project of invasion of the Italy. It ends up giving itself death after being betrayed by his own son.

Racine joins together several episodes of the life of Mithridate in only one day and, as to its practice, gives a great importance to the intrigues in love. But epic dimension remains more present than in other tragedies. On the plan of the style, the part is characterized by a great number of long discourses and monologs.

Mithridate was the preferred tragedy of another large king, Louis XIV. At the following centuries, the part will be done increasingly rare on scene. It is today one of the least played parts of Root.

Summary of the part

Act 1 - Xipharès, one of wire of Mithridate, has just learned death from his/her father and the risk from a forthcoming victory from Rome. It fears a treason of his Pharnace brother, who always supported the Romans. Xipharès sees Monime, been engaged of Mithridate, with which it declares its love. Monime is not shown there opposite. Pharnace occurs, which intends to inherit at the same time the kingdom of his/her father and its been engaged. It is learned whereas Mithridate is not mort it will arrive from one moment at the other. Xipharès and Pharnace are appropriate that they are both culprits and that, if one falls, the different one will be also lost.
Act 2 - Monime does not find the force to accommodate Mithridate as it should be. The king receives in addition the confirmation by Arcas of the perfidy of his Pharnace son. He announces his will to carry out it. In addition, constrained Monime to marry Mithridate, but this one suspects it of liking Pharnace. Monime acknowledges finally in Xipharès that she likes it, but that she is determined to follow the wills of Mithridate.
Act 3 - Mithridate announces in Pharnace and Xipharès that it will try to invade Italy in order to strike the enemy in the middle. Xipharès approves its project and wants to take part in it. Mithridate orders in Pharnace to go to marry the girl of the Parthian king. Pharnace refuses. As Mithridate makes it stop and that it fears a treason of his brother, it reveals that Xipharès is in love with Monime. To have the heart Net of it, Mithridate claims in Monime that he wants to make him marry Xipharès and understands with his reaction that she likes Xipharès.
Act 4 - Xipharès, which is known discovered, wants to flee. But Monime reveals to him that it is not other than it which revealed their love with Mithridate. This last decides to marry Monime before leaving for Italy in exchange its forgiveness. She refuses. Mithridate does not know any more if it must punish Xipharès, him and Monime or any of both. During this time, Pharnace reveals the project of attack of Italy to the Romans, who unload then.
Act 5 - the Romans attack the palate. A servant of Mithridate brings to Monime of the poison so that it commits suicide… What it accommodates well considering a rumor runs that Xiphorès died. A counter-order occurs: Mithridate, which is seen overcome, has just managed poison and was transpierced of a sword while forgiving in Monime. Xipharès, as for him, manages to push back the attack of the Romans. Before expiring, Mithridate, trusting of the last victory like his/her son, links Monime and Xipharès and advises to them to flee.

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