Introduction to Friz’s Analyses of Racine’s Plays The famous French playwright Jean Racine (1639–1700) was an important mod- el for Andreas Friz. His role in Friz’s letter on tragedies has already been dis- cussed in the general introduction to this book. The current appendix will elucidate Friz’s analysis of the dramatic works of the French-Classicist play- wright. Friz’s Analysis tragaediarum Racini takes up the first part (f. 1r–74v) of manuscript ms 938, in which also the letter on tragedies is included. It analyses most of Racine’s plays: La Thébaïde ou Les Frères Ennemis (1664), Alexandre Le Grand (1665), Andromaque (1667), Britannicus (1669), Bérénice (1670), Bajazet (1672), Mithridate (1673), Iphigénie (1674), Phèdre (1677), Esther (1689) and Athalie (1691). Only the comedy Les Plaideurs (The Litigants, 1668) is missing, which can be explained by the fact that it was a farce, while the others are all tragedies. From Friz’s letter on tragedies, his aversion of the genre of the farce is clear. Esther is discussed in the original 5-act version that Racine wrote for the girls’ school of Saint Cyr, and not the now more famous 3-act version. This 5-act version was also included in contemporary editions of Racine’s collection of works, which were Friz’s source for these plays. In the following introduction, the structure, contents and sources of these analyses will be discussed, taking a closer look at the example of one of Racine’s most famous plays, Phèdre, and comparing this to the other anal- yses. These analyses have the following structure: – a short description of the story (Argumentum) – a list of the characters (Acteurs) – a discussion of the expositio, involutio and evolutio of the work – a discussion of how passions are used in the play to evoke hate of vice and love of virtue (Reflexiones supra modem, quo tractantur passiones ad excitandum odium vitiorum et amorem virtutum) – reflections on the principal action, the relationship of the fiction in the play to verisimilitude and convenience. Occasionally in this section the three uni- ties, the nexus of the scenes, and the episodia are also discussed. (Reflexiones considerandoactionemprincipalem,(tresunitates,nexumscenarum,episodia tragoediae), et fictiones operis rerumque in eo convenientiam et verosimili- tudinem) – reflections on the characters and the refinements of the work (Reflexiones supra characteres et varias elegantias operas) – lists of short references with quotations regarding emotions (Affectus) © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2015 | doi: 10.1163/9789004283749_004 176 friz’s analyses of racine’s plays – descriptions (Descriptiones), the ‘most elevated feelings’ (Les sentimens les plus élevés) – sometimes, prophetic scenes (Prophetia). Under these headings, Friz points out what are, in his view, the most relevant aspects of Racine’s plays. Friz’s discussions always begin with a short description of the plot (argumen- tum). On the plot of the Phèdre he writes: Cum Theseus in Epirum profectus esset ad originem Acherontis, ibique a rege quodam Pirithoo, cui feminam rapere voluerat, captivus detineretur, mortuus credebatur. Interim uxor ejus Phaedra exarsit impudico in privi- gnum suum Hippolytum amore, qui fortiter restitit, sed tamen antequam illam reduci Theseo proderet, crimen ipsemet sustinere malluit, quam suspicionem de se movit, quod domum impudicam fugerit patris, qui absenti filio mortem a Neptuno precatur, voti brevi damnatus. Erumpens enim taurus marinus currum, quo Hyppolytus vehebatur turbatis equis, evertit, ita ut exanimis juvenis excuteretur ejusque membra discerpta a patre ipso colligerentur. Phaedra dolore amens se ipsa toxico conficit. Aricie non est ficta persona. Virgilius canit ab Hippolyto eam duc- tam esse, ex qua filium habuit, postquam ab Aesculapio in vitam fuis- set revocatus. Legitur praeterea in aliquibus authoribus, quod Hippolytus in Italiam abduxerit, sibique desponsarit juvenem aliquam filiam Athe- niensem, quae vocabatur Aricie, et a qua parva quaedam civitas Italiae nomen habet. Although Theseus had left to Epirus to the origin of the Acheron, and was held captive there by a certain king Pirithous, whose wife he had wanted to abduct, he was believed to be dead. In the mean time, his wife Phaedra was inflamed with unchaste love for her step-son Hippolytus, who resisted strongly, but nevertheless, before he betrayed her to The- seus upon his return, preferred to sustain the crime himself over removing suspicion from himself, because he fleed from the unchaste house of his father, who prayed to Neptune for the death of his absent son, who ful- filled his prayer, since a sea bull threw over the cart, by which Hippolitus was being carried, when its horses were agitated, so that the young man was thrown out dead and his disfigured body parts were collected by his very father. Phaedra, insane of sadness, killed herself with poison. Aricia is not a made up character. Virgil sings that she was taken by Hippolytus, and that she bore him a son, after he had been brought to life.