Sémiramis

play by Voltaire

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July 13, 2026

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Voltaire's Sémiramis (1748) was a tragedy that, while featuring elaborate stage effects, did not captivate audiences. It was performed at the Comédie-Française, a theater where Voltaire's classical tragedies were prominent. Despite using subjects similar to his rival Crébillon, such as Sémiramis, Voltaire's plays were less favored by Parisian audiences at the time. His tragedies, like Zaïre (1732), aimed to teach virtue and humanity, often focusing on themes of intolerance and the failings of individuals rather than inescapable fate.12

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Voltaire
Later travels of Voltaire
…apparition of a ghost, for Sémiramis (1748), but his public was not captivated. His enemies compared him with Prosper Jolyot, sieur de Crébillon, who was preeminent among French writers of tragedy at this time. Though Voltaire used the same subjects as his rival (Oreste, Sémiramis), the Parisian audience preferred the…
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…apparition of a ghost, for Sémiramis (1748), but his public was not captivated. His enemies compared him with Prosper Jolyot, sieur de Crébillon, who was preeminent among French writers of tragedy at this time. Though Voltaire used the same subjects as his rival (Oreste, Sémiramis), the Parisian audience preferred the…
Read More