Corneille’s Character Failure: The Problematic Portayal of Sévère in Polyeucte

Abstract

Abstract In Pierre Corneille’s religious tragedy, Polyeucte (1643), the secondary character of Sévère, invented by the dramatist as a former love interest of the protagonist’s wife, has long been held (by contemporary critics and to the present day) to be a positive, noble and virtuous pagan who steals the limelight from the martyr hero. This article offers a radical re-reading of the play, arguing that the depiction of Sévère is more complex and that his probity is questionable throughout the play. At the same time, his mysterious non-conversion at the end of the drama affords him the chance to evolve into a pro-active and unselfish advocate in a way that would have been impossible had he become a Christian. Corneille therefore experiments with characterization in the play, presenting both a perfect central hero and a competing, flawed character as an imperfect hermeneutic counterpoint in what could be termed Cornelian fausse-pistisme.