Theatre
Queen After Death
La Reine morte
Henry de Montherlant · 1942
Synopsis
In Portugal, the old king Ferrante wants to marry his son Pedro to the Infanta of Navarre, who has come in person to seal this alliance. The prince refuses: he has secretly married Inês de Castro, whom he loves and who is expecting his child. On discovering this marriage, the king has his son locked up, while his counsellors urge him to act against the young woman. Ferrante agrees to receive Inês, and this meeting leaves him torn between affection and the duties of his office.
Context
The play was premiered at the Comédie-Française in 1942 and published by Gallimard. Its author takes up the framework of a Spanish drama of the Golden Age, Reinar después de morir, by Luis Vélez de Guevara, which he enriches through the strength of the characters and the subtlety of the dialogue. The subject comes from the history of Portugal in the fourteenth century, when Inês de Castro was loved by the heir to the throne. The success of the premiere opened the period of his work devoted mainly to the stage.
Who it is for
A drama dominated by the figure of the king and by his inner struggle between power and affection.
Prizes and reception
In English, Jonathan Griffin translated it in 1951 under the title Queen After Death, in a collection of five plays by its author.
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