Semiramis: An Enlightenment Tragedy by Voltaire
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Book Overview
A classical tragedy by Voltaire exploring power, guilt, and moral consequence within the framework of Enlightenment thought.
In Semiramis, Voltaire reinterprets a legend of the Assyrian queen through the disciplined structure of French classical drama. The play reflects the intellectual concerns of the Enlightenment, examining authority, justice, and the consequences of concealed wrongdoing within a tightly controlled dramatic form.
The narrative unfolds within the royal court, where past actions give rise to suspicion, prophecy, and eventual revelation. Voltaire's approach balances emotional tension with philosophical clarity, presenting a tragedy shaped as much by ideas as by action.
First performed in 1748, Semiramis stands as a representative work of Voltaire's dramatic output and of eighteenth-century French theatre. This unabridged edition presents the complete text in translation by William F. Fleming.
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