Hidden Tragedies: The Social Construction of Gender in Racine.

The book proposes an in-depth analysis of five of Racine's tragedies (Andromaque, Iphigenie, Phedre, Esther, and Athalie) from a contemporary critical perspective while taking into account the mythical or biblical background of the characters. This study is approached from the feminist perspective, and includes an examination of the validity of reading the tragedies from a gendered perspective. The book demonstrates that the strength of Racinian tragedy is not found, as has previously been posited, in its "universality", but in its exploitation of gender difference, and that Pathos arises from the double standards imposed on men and women. This book applies a feminist theory to early modern literature by analyzing what Racine has to offer while challenging the notion of the "canon" and some of the most enduring assumptions made about Racine.