Louis XIV

The normative aesthetic of the French Classicism highlights the beauty of grand passions and great feelings in an antithetical combination with the necessity of respecting the social norms and the voice of reason. The creation of great works of art in this period is tightly connected with the context and environment of seventeenth century France: the political system, the development of the culture and the language. Not only did they manage to flourish the cultural world, but they also accomplished the creation of lasting pieces of art which still have an impact on the contemporary audience and which influenced the next generations of artists. I believe that these forms of art are still able to make their audiences feel, think and, above all,
Moreover, in Racine’s Phèdre , the absence of the king provokes turmoil in the political system. At the same time the tragedy of passions is caused by the political opportunity generated by the King Thésée’s presumed death: Phèdre’s shame for admitting her feelings to Hyppolite and being rejected or Aricie being used as a political trophy to ensure the king’s dominance and power. Moreover, the dramatic conflict of the play is fueled by the political game of gaining the power, this way “the politics furnishes the frame and the center within and around which the drama of passions develops.” Thus, it can be seen that the political system resembles the centralized monarchy sustained by Louis XIV, but the play is more dramatic in the way that Racine brings together the political and the personal, the struggle between reason and passion. In addition, it seems that in the end, in Phèdre, the balance is restored with the return of the king who has adopted Aricie, proving his kindness and integrity. The figure of the king always had to be the one of a right, powerful man, without whom the country would perish, showing that Louis XIV’s domination was visible even in literature, approving pieces of art which would influence his