Atalia (Racine)

Athalie (Athalie) is the last tragedy written by the French playwright Jean Racine and corresponding to his last period.

Racine had abandoned the theater after his appointment as historiographer to King Louis XIV and only returned to it at the request of Madame de Maintenon, who convinced him to write a biblical play for the students of the College of Saint-Cyr.

This led Racine to write Esther in 1689. The work was a great success, which led him to write this theme so loved by the Jansenists of Port-Royal. In this work all the characters acquire ethical dimensions, the love passion disappears and the passionate crisis gives way to the political crisis. God moves all human wills and passions.

Athaliah, widow of the king of Judah, rules the country and believes she has eliminated the entire royal family. She has left aside the Jewish religion and has become a worshiper of Baal. However, her grandson Joash had been saved by the High Priest's wife.

Unlike what happened with Esther, Atalía is a true tragedy in five acts. The choruses only appear at the end of each act. Instead of weakening the action, they give it a poetic and spiritual dimension.

Racine achieves with Atalía the splendor of the Greek tragedies that he knows so well. Some critics, such as Roland Barthes, denounce Joad's fanaticism and verbal violence, while seeing Athaliah as more tolerant in the religious field. But that was not the point of view during that period of Louis XIV's reign, in which the persecution of Protestants and Jansenists had radicalized and the Edict of Nantes had been revoked. In this sense, the influence of Madame de Maintenon, the promoter of Racine's return to the theater, on the king was important.

Atalía suffered opposition from moralists since it appeared. Considering that they were already opposed to theater in general, they were outraged by the fact that the pupils of a pious institution would perform a play, even though it had a religious theme. Although it was performed publicly after the death of Madame de Maintenon, Athalie was never part of Racine's most popular works. However, Voltaire saw in it 'perhaps the work of art of the human race'.

Argument

• Act I. Jehoad, High Priest of the Jews, made sure that Abner, the army officer, would give his support to a descendant of the king of Judah if he appeared. In connivance with his wife Josaba decides to reveal the existence of Joas to destroy Athaliah and to redirect the country to true religion.

• Act II. Athaliah has gone to the Jewish temple and found there a child he had already seen in dreams. He doesn't know it's about Joas, his grandson. Ask Joad to bring that child. Cautivated by her intelligence, she offers to live in a palace with her. Joas, educated by the High Priest in Jewish religion rejects this possibility.

• Act III. Fearing a conspiracy by Joad, Athaliah wants Joas to be sent hostage. The High Priest is ready to proclaim Joash king to advance.

• Act IV. Joad reveals to Joash that he is the descendant and successor of the kings of Judah. The priests groan in the temple.

• Act V. Athaliah is ready to evict the rebels of the Temple. He comes and demands the child. Joad reveals to him the origin of Joas. Outside, the assailants are invaded by panic and flee. Joad orders to execute Athaliah.