Britannicus – Jean Racine

"I embrace my rival, but it is to strangle him."

The young Emperor Nero is beginning to shake off the control of his domineering mother, Agrippina. He falls in love with Junia, who is engaged to his half-brother Britannicus. Jealousy and a lust for power drive Nero to murder Britannicus, marking his transition from a promising ruler to a tyrant.

Racine's tragedy is a chilling study of the birth of a monster. It portrays the corrupting nature of absolute power and the intricate, deadly politics of the Roman court. It is considered one of the greatest political plays in the French repertoire.