sues are closely bound together. Neron kills Britannicus, not only in order to obtain possession of June, but also to free himself from the control of his mother" (Tilley 22). Yarrow adds a dramatic dimension to Tilley's statement by explaining the Racine "chose the moment when Neron, in open revolt at last against Agrippine, murders Britannicus, and appears in his true colors. Now this moment is an invention of Racine's" (Yarrow 47). In other words, Racine devised a late point of attack to illustrate actions that shifted the very course of Roman history. On this view, the fate of Britannicus becomes a symbol for the future fate of Rome.
It is an established fact that Britannicus is out of line for the succession. Thus how Nero perceives and treats him is a symbol of how, whatever his motives, Nero will perceive and treat the rest of the world. Arnott takes Nero to be the pivotal character, noting that the play
shows the various influences to which the emperor is
subject. He is under pressure from those around him: from
...