Polyeucte

About

Corneille's Polyeucte (1642) is his most theologically ambitious tragedy: a recently converted Christian who destroys pagan idols in defiance of Roman authority, knowing it will cost him his life, while his wife Pauline loves him and mourns his certainty. The play negotiates with exceptional intelligence between political, romantic, and religious imperatives — Polyeucte's martyrdom ultimately converts both his wife and her former lover. It was one of the most admired plays in the French classical tradition, ranking alongside Phèdre and Le Cid as a touchstone of tragic grandeur.