SOURCE: Forman, Edward. “Spirit, Will, and Autonomy in Racine's Later Tragedies.” In L'Esprit en France au XVIIe siècle, edited by François Lagarde, pp. 273-81. Tübingen, Germany: Biblio 17: Papers on Seventeenth-Century Literature, 1997.

In the following essay, Forman examines the concept of esprit and the related issues of individuality, autonomy, and will in Racine's later plays, commenting on their ethical implications.

The word esprit has proved problematic for English translators of Racine. A sample of four separate lines—which will be analysed in detail in a moment—threw up no fewer than ten alternative English equivalents in published translations¹: in no case were the translators unanimous as to the most appropriate English word to use, and no translator used the same English word in all four contexts. In the light of Cotgrave's treatment of the word esprit, we may have some sympathy with their dilemma, but this...