« Cet amour est ardent, il le faut confesser. » La tragédie de l’amour excessif et de l’attachement dans Bérénice

The deeply tragic nature which lies in the lovers’ discourse in Bérénice becomes all the more apparent and clear if the reader values Racine’s Augustinian education. In the first book of De doctrina christiana, Augustine treats human love in the light of the distinction between the use of things (ut...

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Main Author: Victoire Malenfer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institut du Monde Anglophone 2021-10-01
Series:Etudes Epistémè
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/13455
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author Victoire Malenfer
author_facet Victoire Malenfer
author_sort Victoire Malenfer
collection DOAJ
description The deeply tragic nature which lies in the lovers’ discourse in Bérénice becomes all the more apparent and clear if the reader values Racine’s Augustinian education. In the first book of De doctrina christiana, Augustine treats human love in the light of the distinction between the use of things (uti) and the enjoyment of things (frui), thus firmly differentiating how one must love God and how one must love men. This paper demonstrates that Titus and Bérénice completely disregard the Augustinian hierarchy and order in love, and that the consequences they bear are much more tragic than the political impediment to their marriage. Such a hypothesis highlights Racine’s lyrical and elegiac poetic background and shows how the tragedy questions this love poetry, giving a truly pure and intense picture of passion bordering on idolatry, which appears less desirable and even dangerous.
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spelling doaj-art-5d49151bf3b44b139ee6aff8a602ec822025-08-20T02:32:48ZengInstitut du Monde AnglophoneEtudes Epistémè1634-04502021-10-014010.4000/episteme.13455« Cet amour est ardent, il le faut confesser. » La tragédie de l’amour excessif et de l’attachement dans BéréniceVictoire MalenferThe deeply tragic nature which lies in the lovers’ discourse in Bérénice becomes all the more apparent and clear if the reader values Racine’s Augustinian education. In the first book of De doctrina christiana, Augustine treats human love in the light of the distinction between the use of things (uti) and the enjoyment of things (frui), thus firmly differentiating how one must love God and how one must love men. This paper demonstrates that Titus and Bérénice completely disregard the Augustinian hierarchy and order in love, and that the consequences they bear are much more tragic than the political impediment to their marriage. Such a hypothesis highlights Racine’s lyrical and elegiac poetic background and shows how the tragedy questions this love poetry, giving a truly pure and intense picture of passion bordering on idolatry, which appears less desirable and even dangerous.https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/13455idolatryloveRacinegallantryPort-Royalmorals
spellingShingle Victoire Malenfer
« Cet amour est ardent, il le faut confesser. » La tragédie de l’amour excessif et de l’attachement dans Bérénice
Etudes Epistémè
idolatry
love
Racine
gallantry
Port-Royal
morals
title « Cet amour est ardent, il le faut confesser. » La tragédie de l’amour excessif et de l’attachement dans Bérénice
title_full « Cet amour est ardent, il le faut confesser. » La tragédie de l’amour excessif et de l’attachement dans Bérénice
title_fullStr « Cet amour est ardent, il le faut confesser. » La tragédie de l’amour excessif et de l’attachement dans Bérénice
title_full_unstemmed « Cet amour est ardent, il le faut confesser. » La tragédie de l’amour excessif et de l’attachement dans Bérénice
title_short « Cet amour est ardent, il le faut confesser. » La tragédie de l’amour excessif et de l’attachement dans Bérénice
title_sort cet amour est ardent il le faut confesser la tragedie de l amour excessif et de l attachement dans berenice
topic idolatry
love
Racine
gallantry
Port-Royal
morals
url https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/13455
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