{{Short description|1643 drama by French writer Pierre Corneille}} {{italic title}} {{other}} [[File:Polyeuctus of Meletine in Armenia (Menologion of Basil II).jpg|thumb|300px|right|Painting depicting the martyrdom of Polyeuctus, from the ''Menologion of Basil II'' (c. 1000 AD)]]
'''''Polyeucte''''' is a drama in five acts by French writer Pierre Corneille.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://boutique.universalis.fr/polyeucte-martyr-de-pierre-corneille-ebook.html|title=Polyeucte martyr de Pierre Corneille (Les Fiches de lecture d'Universalis)|last=|first=|date=|website=Universalis Boutique|access-date=}}</ref> It was finished in December 1642 and debuted in October 1643. It is based on the life of the martyr Saint Polyeuctus (Polyeucte).<ref name=gut>[https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2543 Project Gutenberg etext of ''Polyeucte''] </ref>
The drama is set in ancient Armenia (in a city, Melitene, which is in present-day Turkey) during a time when Christians were persecuted there under the Roman Empire. Polyeucte, an Armenian nobleman, converts to Christianity to the great despair of his wife, Pauline, and of his father-in-law, Felix. Despite them, Polyeucte becomes a martyr, causing Pauline and Felix to finally convert as well.<ref name="gut" /> There is also a romantic subplot: the Roman Severus is in love with Pauline and hopes she will be his after the conversion of Polyeucte. However, she chooses to stay at the side of her husband. Before dying, Polyeucte entrusts Severus with Pauline.
Polyeucte is one of the last 17th-century French dramas with a religious subject—Corneille did also write ''Théodore'' in 1645 and Racine wrote ''Esther'' (1689) and ''Athalie'' (1691), but these were not meant for public performance. Later playwrights were not as willing to mix religious and worldly themes.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
In 1906, one act of the opera was performed under the auspices of the Carthage Institute in the ancient Roman theatre at Carthage, Tunisia, making it the first modern performance to have taken place in that historic space (which had functioned as an active theatre from ca. AD 150 to AD 439 and was only unearthed in 1904).<ref>''Revue Tunisienne'' 14 (1907): 74–75</ref>
==Adaptations== In 1878, ''Polyeucte'' was adapted into an opera by Charles Gounod,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Polyeucto {{!}} Charles Gounod|url=https://www.opera-arias.com/gounod/polyeucto/|access-date=2019-12-31|website=Opera-Arias.com|language=en}}</ref> with the assistance of the librettist Jules Barbier. The opera was not a success and is rarely performed except for a number of arias including "Source délicieuse" and the barcarolle "Nymphes attentives". Other works based on the play include a ballet by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1679), the opera Poliuto (1838) by Donizetti (adapted into French by Scribe as ''Les martyrs''), an overture by Paul Dukas (1891) and a composition by Edgar Tinel.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Pierre Corneille}} {{Polyeucte}} {{Authority control}} Category:1643 plays Category:Plays by Pierre Corneille Category:Plays set in Armenia Category:Plays set in ancient Rome Category:Christian plays Category:Plays adapted into operas