Trinity University Digital Commons @ Trinity Modern Languages and Literatures Faculty Research Modern Languages and Literatures Department 5-1993 The Destabilization of the Future in Racine's Iphigénie Nina Ekstein Trinity University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/mll_faculty Part of the Modern Languages Commons Repository Citation Ekstein, N. (1993). The destabilization of the future in Racine's Iphigénie. French Review, 66(6), 919-931. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Modern Languages and Literatures Department at Digital Commons @ Trinity. It has been accepted for inclusion in Modern Languages and Literatures Faculty Research by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Trinity. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. THE FRENCH REVIEW, Vol. 66, No. 6, May 1993 Printed in U.S.A. The Destabilization of the Future in Racine's lphigenie by Nina Ekstein THE ACTION of Racine's lphigenie is only a prelude, a pretext, to a much greater future event. The Trojan War looms large before the entire dra matic universe, drawing the characters inexorably forward. 1The force of the future in this play has long been evident: Georges Poulet discussed it in relation to the weight of the past in Andromaque: "(o]uvrant ou fermant un recit, le moment de !'action perd done presque entierement sa valeur pro pre, sa qualite de seul moment 'present.' ... Sa 'realite' n'est pas assez riche en soi pour triompher d'un passe ou d'un futur. Le moment racinien se trouve ainsi devenir l'esclave d'une duree anterieure ou posterieure" (153- 54).