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In France, the story of the Earl of Essex inspired three tragedies. Two of them, written respectively by Thomas Corneille and Claude Boyer, were performed in 1678, in the course of only a few weeks. However, the way the topic was dealt with is different in the two plays. Even though Boyer’s play can be considered a courtly work, he also attempted a reflection on the practice of political and judicial power through the complex character of Elisabeth : as a sovereign mistaking her two roles as a mistress and as a queen, she more or less consciously heads towards tyranny.