Jean Racine

Born in 1639, he became one of the defining playwrights of classical France under Louis XIV. He was educated at Port-Royal, and that training helped shape the clarity, discipline, and psychological precision that became the hallmark of his writing.

His best-known works are tragedies such as Andromaque, Britannicus, Bérénice, Iphigénie, and Phèdre. Rather than relying on spectacle, these plays focus on inner conflict—love, ambition, honor, and guilt—and that intense emotional focus is a big part of why they have lasted.

Later in life, he stepped away from the public stage for a time and served as royal historiographer. He eventually returned to drama with religious works, and he died in 1699, leaving behind a body of work that remains central to French literature.