Les Plaideurs

play by Racine

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July 1, 2026

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Les Plaideurs (The Litigants) is a three-act comedy by Jean Racine, first performed in 1668. It is a witty adaptation of Aristophanes' ancient Greek comedy, Wasps.12

Racine's play satirizes the French legal system, drawing parallels to the litigious nature of Athenians depicted in Wasps. In Aristophanes' play, an old man obsessed with serving on juries is eventually cured of his passion. Racine's comedy similarly critiques the absurdity and excesses found within legal proceedings. While Racine is primarily known for his tragedies, Les Plaideurs showcases his skill in comedy and his ability to adapt classical works for a 17th-century French audience.12

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Jean Racine
Works of Jean Racine
The three-act comedy Les Plaideurs (first performed 1668, published 1669; The Litigants) offered Racine the challenge of a new genre and the opportunity to demonstrate his skill in Molière’s privileged domain, as well as the occasion to display his expertise in Greek, of which he had better command…
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The three-act comedy Les Plaideurs (first performed 1668, published 1669; The Litigants) offered Racine the challenge of a new genre and the opportunity to demonstrate his skill in Molière’s privileged domain, as well as the occasion to display his expertise in Greek, of which he had better command…
Read More