Britannicus: A new version by Robert David MacDonald Book

Nero in Love
15 February 2018 - Phnom Phem

As I was reading this play the first thing that struck me is that Racine sticks very closely to the Aristotelean rules of unity of time and place: that is that the events take place over a single day in a single location (this being Nero's palace). I actually found it much easier to read this play than some of Racine's other ones, though it may have something to do with having some knowledge of the characters and a background to the story. Then again, in some of his other works I had some knowledge as well but found it difficult to follow. Another thing that stood out is that Racine seems to follow the Greek style, though of course this is a five act play, it is just that following the unities the acts really only represent a break in the action.

The play begins with Nero's mother, and power behind the throne, seeking a private audience with her son. The thing is that Nero doesn't particularly want to speak to her anymore, namely because of her influence over him. Nero has also fallen in love with a young lady named June (who should be called Junia). The problem is that she loves somebody else, the Britannicus of the title. Okay, we might just put this down to your typical love triangle, but this is Nero we are talking about, and when you happen to be him you sort of don't like taking no for an answer.

Yet Nero wasn't always the monster that we know him to be, and I suspect that this is what Racine is trying to get across. However, we do know what he does become and a part of me feels that the events on this one day end up being the tipping point - love does have that effect upon people, as does not being able to get what you want when you happen to be the most powerful person in the empire.

Look, we can probably work out what happens in the end, and we can pretty much see that things aren't going to work out all that well for everybody involved. Nero has Britannicus poisoned, and Junia then takes her own life, because, well, Nero. We know that Nero eventually has his mother killed as well, but this play isn't about that event, though once again it could also be that tipping point in Nero's life that sent him into a downward spiral that resulted in a coup against him.

The major thing that stands out is that you basically can't always have what you want, and even if you attempt to take it by force it doesn't mean that you are going to succeed. Moreso, even if you are Emperor of Rome you simply cannot force somebody to love you who doesn't, and the more you press yourself onto them the more likely they are going to be repulsed, and in this case Junia preferred death over being violated by Nero.

Yet we also see a tender side to Nero as well, one who is tormented by love and by a love that simply isn't going to be returned. Like Andromache, Nero lets his passions take control of him, and in the end acts in an irrational way that brings the whole edifice crashing down. From where we stand we can look forward to see the man who murdered his mother, and would wander the streets of Rome mugging people because, well, because he was Nero. Yet he is not so much a murderous tyrant (though he was), but a little boy who never got over the loss of his love.

Let us also consider Agrippina because woven through this tale of tragic love is also a struggle between a mother and her son. It works in two spheres as well - the political and the domestic. In the political sphere Aggripina is acting as the power behind the throne, and Nero is attempting to cast her off so that he might be able to rule in his own name. However, we also have a mother simply being a mother to her son, and the son wanting to cease being a boy and becoming a man. Well, this is also Nero that we are talking about, so whether he ever actually grew up is another debate (I suspect he didn't).

Yet, he does make a good point at the end of the play - Aggripina did have Claudius killed to put him on the throne, so what is so different about him killing Britannicus. Well, because love doesn't work the same way as the political world. Sure, one may be able to slash and burn their way to the top, until they sit atop a pile of corpses, but simply getting rid of a rival lover isn't going to change a person's view of you (in fact it is probably going to make it worse). Unfortunately love is love, and one cannot force Cupid to shoot his arrow into somebody that he has no intention of shooting it into.