âMille bruitsâ: Listening to Britannicus

Nicholas Hammond

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4 âMille bruitsâ: Listening to Britannicus

In: Racineâs Roman Tragedies

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Nicholas Hammond

Nicholas Hammond
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 83â98

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004504813_006

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Abstract

This chapter approaches Racineâs Britannicus from a primarily auditory angle. Making use of recent theoretical writing on sound in the theatre, and of a 1670 account of the first performance of the play at the HÃ´tel de Bourgogne, I move from discussion of the notion of âconstrained soundâ within the theatre to an examination of the sound world of Britannicus itself, considering both the control of sound (where even NÃ©ronâs silences are depicted as having been dictated to him by others) and noises that cannot be inhibited, such as those noises that intrude upon the opening scene of the play. Particular attention is paid to Acts IV and V, especially IV. 2, where several offstage voices and noises seem to haunt the speeches of Agrippine and NÃ©ron. The chapter concludes with a consideration of the idea of metatheatre, especially in Narcisseâs evocation of NÃ©ronâs love of the stage and the forced applause of his audience in IV. 4, culminating with a new interpretation of NÃ©ronâs final âsilence faroucheâ in Act V.

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Racineâs Roman Tragedies

Essays on Britannicus and BÃ©rÃ©nice

Series:Â Faux Titre Online, Volume: 456Â andÂ Faux Titre, Volume: 456

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004504813

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 15 Dec 2021

Subjects
- Literature and Cultural Studies

Front Matter

Part 1 Defining Tragedy

Part 2 Sound, Metatheatre, and Theatrical Space

Part 3 Ambiguity, Concealment, and Duplicity

Part 4 Racine and His Rivals

Part 5 Sources and Translations

Back Matter

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4 âMille bruitsâ: Listening to Britannicus

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Racineâs Roman Tragedies

Essays on Britannicus and BÃ©rÃ©nice

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4 âMille bruitsâ: Listening to Britannicus

Racineâs Roman Tragedies