About the work
Alexandre le Grand is Racine's second tragedy, in five acts and verse, first performed on 4 December 1665 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal by Molière's company. Racine follows the ancient historian Quintus Curtius and depicts Alexander's campaign in India; the play is considered a gallant work of Racine's youth in which his later psychological precision is already announced.
Plot
Alexander the Great invades India. King Taxile seeks peace with Alexander, while his ally Porus resists proudly; both court Queen Axiane, who admires Porus's will to fight. After defeating Porus, Alexander shows magnanimity: he spares the defeated king and restores his kingdom to him.
Cultural significance
Only eleven days after the premiere, Racine had the same play performed, without his partners' agreement, by the Hôtel de Bourgogne company, then more esteemed for tragedy – a move that led to his definitive break with Molière. Contemporary critics already praised the young Racine's "gallant and heroic taste", which hinted, beyond the play's love intrigue, at the psychological depth to come.