Sam Loyd

See also: Bérénice

Bérénice is a Tragédie in five acts (respectively comprising 5,5,4,8 and 7 scenes) and in worms (1506 Alexandrin S) of Racine represented for the first time the November 21st 1670 with the Hôtel of Burgundy.

Root would have taken as a starting point the lovesong fallen through between Louis XIV and Marie Mancini and one says that, present at the first of the part, this one would have poured some tears. Root seems to have chosen the topic of the separation of Titus and Bérénice to compete with Corneille, which prepared at the same time its part Tite and Bérénice .

Suétone had told the history of the Roman Emperor and the queen of Palestine: because Rome was opposed to their marriage, Titus had to return Bérénice at it, invitus invitam (in spite of him, in spite of it). Root raises the connection undoubtedly rather banal of a Romain and his mistress on the level of an absolute and tragic love.

The Tragédie is born from the confrontation of two irreconcilable requirements. Titus cannot endanger its mission at the head of Rome in the name of the passion which links it in Bérénice. The part could have proceeded by reversals and dramatic turns of events to link then to move away the two characters successively. Root chooses contrary to removing all the events which could make shade with the single action of the drama: advertisement, by Titus, of the choice which it made leave Bérénice. Titus indeed made its decision before the beginning of the part; it remains to him to announce it in Bérénice and this one must accept it. Their passion is never questioned, at any time the life of a character is not in danger: nothing comes to distract the attention. The very great art of Root consists in “doing something from nothing” (foreword of Bérénice ), to create at the spectator “this majestic sadness which makes all the pleasure of the tragedy” starting from a subject that one can tell in a sentence. The tension reaches its paroxysm at the end of the 4th act, when Titus explains the drama which tears it in Bérénice, which refuses the decision that it took. Then the 5th act shows the two characters admirably to face owe them: contrary to other characters of Root, they accept their separation without taking refuge in death.

Bérénice remained a long time in a purgatory of which it is arisen only at the 20th century. Today, it is one of the tragedies of Root most played after Phèdre , Andromaque and Britannicus .

Summary of the part

Acte I

Antiochus sends its Arsace confidant to seek the queen.
Remained only, it quivers with the idea to see Bérénice for the last time. He has liked it in secrecy for 5 years and cannot support to see it marrying Titus. Must it be keep silent or speak?
Arsace returns and tries to convince it to remain. Antiochus would like to explain its feelings to him.
Bérénice arrives, radiant and reassured. In spite of its long silence after the death of his/her father, Titus always likes it and must marry it. Antiochus bids its farewell to him but finishes by him acknowledging the true reasons of its departure. Shocked in its glory and disappointed in its friendship, it lets it leave, desperate.
Phénice, its confidante, regrets this departure in the uncertainty of the decision of Titus.

Acte II

Titus appears and returns its continuation.
It questions Paulin on the opinion of Rome concerning its marriage with a foreign queen. This one answers that it is not favorable. But Titus already made the decision to sacrifice that which he likes with his own glory. It is desperate;
One announces Bérénice and Titus staggers.
It wonders about the attitude of his/her lover, complains, while Titus is unable to answer.
Anxious of its abrupt escape and its silence, it seeks the reasons of them and manages to be reassured.

Acte III

the two masculine roles, which had occupied each one an act, meet finally. Titus is astonished by the rapid departure of Antiochus but does not ask the reason of it. It charges it with going to announce in Bérénice that it returns it.
In spite of the encouragements of Arsace, Antiochus remembers the feelings of Bérénice in its connection and oscillates between hope and concern. It decides not to be the carrier of the bad news.
But Bérénice enters in scene at this time and forces Antiochus to speak. She does not believe it and banishes it for always its sight before leaving, ploughed up.
Antiochus awaits the night to leave, and the confirmation which the queen does not have, by despair, sought to make an attempt on its days.

Act IV

Short monolog of Bérénice which reveals us his deep and painful despair.
Bérénice does not want to change because she thinks that only the visible image of its despair can touch Titus.
Titus sends Paulin to see Bérénice and remains alone.
It wonders about the action to be taken. He seeks reasons to reconsider his decision but its honor of emperor ends up overriding its feelings.
Arrival of Bérénice. They are in tears. Titus ready to yield manages to be raised with a decision presented like " romaine". Bérénice which had been declared ready to remain like concubine, finds her pride and leaves while announcing its nearest death, alone resulting.
Titus is compared with Néron and is mislaid in the pain.
Antiochus makes him reproach and encourages it to go to see the queen.
the constitutional body of Rome arrives at the palate. Titus chooses without hesitating to receive them rather than to join Bérénice.

Acte V

the last act opens on happy Arsace in search of its Master.
Bérénice is on the point of leaving Rome announces it in Antiochus which does not dare any more to hope.
Titus invites Antiochus to contemplate for the last time the love which it dedicates to its mistress.
Misunderstanding: Antiochus thinks that it is about a reconciliation. It leaves, decided to die.
Bérénice wants to leave without listening to Titus, which likes it more than ever. While it renews its reproaches to him, he learns by the letter which he had torn off to him that its departure east pretends and that she wants to die. He sends Phénice to seek Antiochus.
Titus explains in a long tirade its feelings, its reasons to act, its wish to die.
For the first and last time the three heroes are joined together: Antiochus acknowledges in Titus which he is his rival and who it wishes to die. Bérénice intervenes then and pronounces the words of separation: that all three live, but separate, cultivating the memory of their unhappy history.

See too

Aurélien of Louis Aragon

Bonds external

representations of '' Bérénice '' to the {{s2|XVII|E|XVIII|E}} on site CÉSAR

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