The Code of Honour in Classic French Tragedies

In the grand tradition of French literature, few things are as dramatic, rigid, and fate-sealing as l’honneur. Whether in the plays of Corneille, Racine, or Voltaire, the concept of honour dictated love, revenge, and the ultimate downfall of many tragic heroes and heroines. But what exactly was this code of honour, and why did it ruin so many lives?

What Is This So-Called Honour, Anyway?

In classic French tragedies, honour was everything—more important than love, happiness, or even life itself. Derived from chivalric ideals, aristocratic expectations, and political duty, honour in tragedy meant:

• Loyalty to family and country 🏰
• Personal integrity and moral virtue ⚖️
• Avenging insults (even when it made everything worse) ⚔️

Essentially, it was the early modern French version of “protecting your reputation at all costs”—which, in tragedy, always ended horribly.

Corneille’s “Le Cid” (1637): When Love and Honour Collide

Pierre Corneille’s Le Cid is basically the blueprint for honour-based suffering. The play follows Rodrigue and Chimène, two lovers whose relationship gets thrown into chaos when Rodrigue is forced to kill Chimène’s father to defend his family’s honour.

💔 The dilemma? Chimène must demand justice (because honour!), but she still loves Rodrigue (because feelings!).

🚨 The result? Endless emotional turmoil, as Chimène insists on vengeance while secretly hoping Rodrigue will somehow still be worthy of her love. The play ends with a marriage possibly happening someday—after a period of noble suffering, of course.

Lesson Learned:

If honour and romance ever go head-to-head in a French tragedy, bet on honour winning (and everyone crying about it).

Racine’s “Phèdre” (1677): The Dangers of Repressed Passion

Jean Racine’s Phèdre takes the honour obsession even further—into the realm of Greek mythological family drama. Here, Phèdre (wife of King Theseus) falls in love with her stepson Hippolyte. Her own sense of morality (and the fear of public shame) causes her to spiral into self-loathing and, well, destruction.

💔 The dilemma? If she follows her heart, she betrays her marriage. If she stays silent, she suffers in shame.

🚨 The result? A messy web of accusations, deaths, and misunderstandings, all because honour dictated that Phèdre couldn’t just confess her feelings like a normal person.

Lesson Learned:

In Racine’s world, repressing your emotions too much is just as tragic as acting on them.

Voltaire’s “Zaïre” (1732): Religion, Honour, and Impossible Choices

Voltaire, known for his sharp wit and Enlightenment ideals, took the honour theme and made it even more philosophical in Zaïre. This tragedy follows Zaïre, a Christian woman raised in a Muslim court, who falls in love with Sultan Orosmane. But when her religious identity is revealed, cue disaster.

💔 The dilemma? Does she choose love or faith? Can honour exist in two conflicting worlds?

🚨 The result? Misunderstandings, jealousy, and tragic deaths (classic).

Lesson Learned:

French tragedy loves to explore what happens when two moral codes clash—and the answer is always misery.

Final Thoughts: Why Did the French Love Honour So Much?

Classic French tragedies weren’t just about making people cry (though they excelled at that). The code of honour reflected real societal values of the time:

• Aristocratic duty and reputation were paramount.
• Emotions had to be controlled (until they inevitably exploded).
• Tragedy was a way to examine human flaws (and feel deeply intellectual while doing so).

Even today, these themes resonate—who among us hasn’t felt torn between duty and desire, loyalty and love? (Okay, maybe not in such an extreme way, but still.)

References:

• Corneille, Pierre. Le Cid. Paris: Augustin Courbé, 1637.
• Racine, Jean. Phèdre. Paris: Librairie Générale Française, 1677.
• Voltaire. Zaïre. Paris: Prault Fils, 1732.
• Lyons, John D. French Literature: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2010.
• Howarth, William D. French Theatre in the Neo-Classical Era, 1550–1789. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
• Knight, R. C. Racine: Phèdre. Cambridge University Press, 1989.
• Woshinsky, Barbara. Racine’s Rhetoric of Passion: The Drama of the Soul in the Classical Age. Ohio State University Press, 1991.