Abstract
he article offers a reappraisal of one of Pierre Corneille's masterpieces, "Polyeucte" (1643). This tragedy departs radically from the dramatist's named sources, more so than in any other of his works. It is argued here that the plot is altered in order to avoid any potentially subversive readings. There is an obvious political agenda--the monarch is not criticized at any point--but an overlooked factor may be a desire to neutralize the suggestion of homoeroticism. Thus, the play represents an apologia for Christian marriage and intimate relations between the sexes. This manipulation amounts to the portrayal of a heterosexualized hero, far removed from a virgin-martyr stereotype, and from the saint's legend as presented in standard narratives.
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