Héroïsme et fragilité du pouvoir politique dans trois tragédies de Tristan : La Mariane, La Mort de Sénèque, Osman

This article aims to show how Tristan L'Hermite, in these three tragedies, manages to reconcile the figuration of heroism and the pathos awakened by the death of a righteous man, by constructing political situations in which the legitimacy and stability of power is threatened. While the plays seem to schematically pit a tyrant against his victim, the holders of power are confronted with heroizing circumstances that may lead them to glory or to ethical degradation.