Overcoming the Shadow: Andromaque’s Ambivalent Triumph

Unlike Euripides – the source that supposedly nurtures this tragedy – Racine portrays widowhood with an unprecedented intensity. Even though Andromaque aims at protecting her child (and therefore, as traditional legend interprets it, the crown of France), her deep grief holds her back. Such a ‘displacement’ was profusely criticized in Racine’s own time. The mourning of Andromaque impacts upon the aesthetic and dramaturgical meaning of the play. Andromaque might not be as weak as she seems: her power lurks in the dark. How does this ruling queen emerge from captivity? Racine provides us with a new interpretation of loss, mourning, and parenting.