intro dissertation phedre

Phèdre, Racine : fiche de lecture

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Phèdre de Racine est une tragédie d’un auteur classique au sommet de son art.

Elle met en scène la lutte désespérée de personnages poursuivis par la fatalité .

La violence de l’intrigue, de l’orgueil et des passions qui se déploient est tempérée par une écriture mesurée, maîtrisée et un respect des règles classiques comme celles des trois unités et de la bienséance.

Phèdre : analyse en vidéo

Qui est Jean Racine ?

Orphelin à l’âge de 4 ans, Jean Racine est élevé par sa grand-mère et reçoit une éducation janséniste à Port-Royal qui l’influence considérablement. Protégé par le roi Louis XIV , ses tragédies rencontrent un grand succès à la Cour.

Il excelle dans la peinture des passions humaines qui conduisent inéluctablement les hommes à leur chute. Son oeuvre s’inscrit dans le classicisme dont il respecte les règles.

Comment résumer Phèdre ?

Tu peux lire ici un résumé détaillé de Phèdre de Racine .

Phèdre , jeune épouse de Thésée, confie à sa nourrice Oenone son amour coupable pour Hippolyte , le fils de Thésée.

L’annonce de la mort de Thésée bouleverse l’action. En effet, Phèdre déclare son amour à son beau-fils , qui reste pétrifié par cet aveu.

Mais on annonce le retour de Thésée . Effrayée qu’Hippolyte puisse trahir son secret, Phèdre laisse Oenone accuser Hippolyte d’avoir voulu abuser de Phèdre.

Hors de lui, Thésée maudit Hippolyte et prie Neptune de le venger. Hippolyte garde le silence et ne dénonce pas Phèdre.

Apprenant le suicide d’Oenone, Thésée a des doutes et prie Neptune de ne pas exaucer sa malédiction.

Mais le destin est lancé : le messager Théramène annonce la mort d’Hippolyte dans un combat épique face à un monstre marin.

Phèdre , rongée par le remord, absorbe un poison et avoue avant de mourir sa culpabilité à Thésée.

Analyses issus de Phèdre :

• Phèdre, acte I scène 3
• Phèdre, acte II scène 5
• Phèdre, acte V scène 6
• Phèdre, acte V scène 7

Quels sont les thèmes importants dans Phèdre ?

L’amour et la passion.

L’amour dans Phèdre est toujours un amour impossible .

L’amour de Phèdre pour Hippolyte est marqué du sceau de la culpabilité et de l’inceste et l’amour entre Hippolyte et Aricie est un amour interdit pour des raisons politiques .

L’amour de Phèdre est surtout un amour passion d’une violence extrême contre lequel ni la raison ni la volonté ne peuvent lutter.

Cette passion furieuse et dévastatrice est d’autant plus condamnable pour un spectateur du XVIIème siècle qui valorise la raison, l’ordre et la mesure.

La culpabilité

Phèdre est coupable de laisser sa passion conduire et maîtriser sa raison , ce qui constitue une faute morale grave dans un XVIIème siècle où la maîtrise des passions est une vertu essentielle.

Thésée est également marqué par la culpabilité : en envoyant son fils à la mort, il laisse l’ orgueil et la colère voiler son discernement.

On peut voir dans cette culpabilité un reflet du jansénisme , doctrine religieuse selon laquelle l’homme est coupable du fait du péché originel et n’a que peu de chance de rédemption (pour les jansénistes, seuls quelques hommes sont prédestinés au salut éternel).

De ce point de vue, Phèdre est une allégorie de l’humanité pécheresse , conduite par ses passions et non par la raison et la foi.

La fatalité

L’univers mythologique rappelle à tout instant que les personnages sont les jouets des dieux : Phèdre ne peut lutter contre une fatalité qui s’est abattue sur sa lignée depuis des temps immémoriaux.

Le destin est inflexible. Il s’incarne aussi dans le monstre hideux qui tue Hippolyte, réalisant la malédiction lancée par Thésée, en dépit des remords de ce dernier.

(Voir l’ analyse de l’acte V scène 6 de Phèdre dans lequel Théramène fait le récit de la mort d’Hippolyte).

Racine écrit dans sa préface «  Phèdre n’est ni tout à fait coupable ni tout à fait innocente . Elle est engagée, par sa destinée et par la colère des dieux, dans une passion illégitime (…). Elle fait tous ses efforts pour la surmonter. »

C’est là que réside une des clés de compréhension du personnage de Phèdre.

Phèdre reste une héroïne, mais d’un héroïsme particulier, propre à Jean Racine, un héroïsme intérieur qui est celui du combat contre sa passion coupable .

Phèdre, en effet, ne s’abandonne pas à cette passion funeste. Par tous les moyens elle essaie de la combattre même si elle échoue.

On le voit notamment à l’acte I scène 3 : Phèdre n’avoue à Oenone son amour pour Hippolyte qu’après avoir évité par tous les moyens de cacher le mal qui la ronge. En ce sens, elle fait preuve d’héroïsme.

Quelles sont les caractéristiques de l’écriture dans Phèdre ?

Racine écrit dans une langue noble, poétique, aux rythmes et aux sonorités très travaillés. Il maîtrise parfaitement les règles du théâtre classique édictées par Boileau dans son Art poétique : règle des trois unités, de la vraisemblance et de la bienséance.

C’est sans doute là que réside la fascination qu’exerce cette pièce sur les spectateurs : les passions les plus extrêmes et dévastatrices sont exprimées dans une langue mesurée, maîtrisée, chargée de symboles et de références mythologiques.

Que signifie le parcours « Passion et tragédie » ?

Le parcours littéraire associé à Phèdre pour le bac de français 2020 est : Passion et tragédie .

Ces deux notions s’appliquent parfaitement à cette œuvre : Phèdre est en effet l’histoire d’une passion violente, dévastatrice et c’est aussi une tragédie classique en cinq actes et en vers.

Mais ce n’est pas suffisant pour comprendre ce parcours !

Par la conjonction de coordination « et » qui lie ces deux termes, « Passion et tragédie », le parcours ne t’invite pas à définir séparément ces deux notions mais à explorer les rapports qu’elles entretiennent entre elles .

Ces notions sont-elles opposées, complémentaires ? Qu’induisent-elles du point de vue de l’écriture, de l’esthétique, du message de l’auteur ?

La passion est le ressort tragique de la pièce

La passion est tout d’abord le ressort tragique de la pièce. Elle est la faute qui entraîne la tragédie.

Dans Phèdre , il s’agit d’une passion incestueuse qui vient d’une malédiction lointaine puisque Phèdre, «  fille de Minos et de Pasiphaé « , était condamnée à vivre une passion interdite en raison de la vengeance de Vénus.

La passion interdite entraîne alors des péripéties qui donnent à la tragédie son efficacité : aveu, jalousie, suicide… La passion entraîne inéluctablement la tragédie.

Phèdre est la tragédie de la passion

Phèdre , c’est également la tragédie de la passion , c’est à dire la tragédie d’une âme esclave de ses passions.

Dans un XVIIème siècle rationaliste, qui prône la mesure et la maîtrise des passions, le destin de Phèdre montre la submersion de la raison par la passion, l’égarement dans le mal.

Racine met en scène l’âme de Phèdre avec ses emportements, ses hésitations, sa résistance à la culpabilité et son abandon à la faute.

Or cette représentation a une fonction morale comme l’indique Aristote dans sa Poétique : la tragédie,  » suscitant pitié et crainte, opère la purgation propre à de pareilles émotions » . C’est ce qu’on appelle la catharsis : parce qu’elle inspire terreur et pitié, la tragédie permet au spectateur de se purger de ses propres passions, de ses propres émotions néfastes.

Le spectacle de la passion réalise donc la fonction morale de la tragédie : elle permet au spectateur de voir l’âme de Phèdre tomber dans le péché afin de lui éviter de s’y abandonner lui-même.

Tu étudies Phèdre de Racine ? Regarde aussi :

♦ Le Cid, Corneille [fiche de lecture] ♦ La Princesse de Clèves, Madame de la Fayette [fiche de lecture] ♦ Fables, La Fontaine [Fiche de lecture] ♦ Molière, Le misanthrope : résumé ♦ Le malade imaginaire : fiche de lecture ♦ Molière, L’École des femmes : résumé ♦ Molière, Tartuffe : résumé ♦ Molière, Dom Juan : résumé ♦ La Bruyère, Les Caractères, « Gnathon » : analyse ♦ Arrias a tout lu, a tout vu, La Bruyère : analyse ♦ Pascal, Pensées, fragment divertissement : analyse ♦ Fontenelle, la dent d’or : analyse

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5 commentaires

Bonjour madame J’avais juste une petite question est ce que Phèdre a eu une malédictions dans sa famille ou pas Merci beaucoup

Oui je crois que Phèdre à était maudite à cause de sa mère qui a eu une aventure avec Zeus. Je ne suis pas sûr de cette information, mais je te la partage.

D’ailleurs merci infiniment chère professeure pour vos efforts. Est ce que vous pouvez m’expliquer comment faire une bonne introduction ?

Bonjour Amna, Tu peux trouver mes conseils pour l’introduction dans mes fiches méthodes (onglet méthodes dans le menu). Bon courage !

Bonjour, mon professeur de français a été absent durant ces trois derniers et ils nous certaines lecture analytique, notamment un extrait de Phèdre dont l’ensemble de la classe n’arrive pas à réaliser . Acte 2, scene 5 de « madame il n’est pas temps de vous troubler encore » à »aurai-je perdu tout le sang de ma gloire ». On vous sera énormément reconnaissant si vous pouvez nous aider. MERCI

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Phèdre, Racine

Par tiitegwaadaa   •  15 Mars 2019  •  Dissertation  •  1 306 Mots (6 Pages)  •  4 464 Vues

                Alexandra

                                          2nd11

Dissertation :

  Phèdre une Tragédie classique ?

Introduction

Au XVII ème siècle, apparaît un grand mouvement de la littérature : le Classicisme. Ce courant culturel est caractérisé par le goût de l’ordre, de la mesure, et la raison.

Jean Racine est un dramaturge et poète du XVIIe siècle, né le 22 Décembre 1639 à la Ferté-Milon en Picardie. Il est considéré comme l’un des plus grands dramaturge de ce courant littéraire, avec Corneille et Molière.

Phèdre est une pièce de théâtre interprété pour la première fois le 1 er  Janvier 1677. C’est la dernière pièce profane écrite par l’auteur français. C’ est une tragédie racontant l'histoire de la reine d'Athènes amoureuse de son beau-fils Hippolyte (fils du roi Thésée), elle lui avoue l’amour qu’elle ressent pour lui lorsqu’elle apprend que son mari est mort.   Mais cet amour n'est pas réciproque . Au tout début la pièce s’intitulait Phèdre et Hippolyte cependant le nom de la pièce fut modifié ce qui permis de mettre à l’honneur le personnage de Phèdre.  La pièce se compose de cinq actes  écrits en vers. Nous pouvons alors nous demandé si cette pièce respecte réellement les codes d’une tragédie classique. Pour cela nous allons comparer les caractéristiques de cette pièce avec ceux d’une tragédie classique.

Dans un premier temps nous ferons l’énonciation de toutes les règles et caractéristiques d’une tragédie classique puis nous verrons si la pièce entre bien dans ces critères. Dans un second temps nous nous pencherons plus en détails sur l’histoire et sur le coté tragique présent dans cette pièce, puis nous conclurons en répondant à la question suivante, « Phèdre  est elle réellement une tragédie classique ? »

I-La tragédie classique

A)Qu’est-ce qu’une tragédie classique

La tragédie que nous appelons "classique" apparaît vers 1630.   C’ est un genre théâtral dans lequel les personnages appartiennent à un rang élevé de la société, et utilisent un langage plutôt soutenu. Les pièces de ce type sont composés de cinq actes écrits en vers comme dans les poésie. Elles ont la plus part du temps une seule idée principal, inspirer la terreur et la pitié et émouvoir les spectateur, (la "catharsis"), grâce aux  luttes et souffrances des personnages qui y participent. La tragédie répond à plusieurs règles, celle des trois unités (temps, action, lieux), c’est à dire qu’e lle se déroule souvent dans un seul et unique lieu et elle dure au maximum une journée. Elle répond aussi à la règle  de vraisemblance et celle de bienséance. La situation tragique est souvent sans issue. Les personnages sont héroïques et acceptent leurs destins.  La tragédie à toujours une fin tragique, triste, malheureuse, qui est souvent symboliser par la mort. La présence de divinité est commune dans les tragédies.

B)Les codes de la tragédie classique dans   Phèdr e

Nous pouvons constater que la pièce est écrite en alexandrin, les personnages sont issus de la noblesse  et succomber par la fatalité et la passion.

L’une des première règle respecté par l’auteur lors de l’écriture de la pièce est celle des trois unités, je m’explique l’unité de temps, de lieux et d’action. Nous pouvons constater que la pièce ne se déroule qu’en un seul jour (unité de temps) n’a pour unique action principal que le seul amour interdit qu’éprouve Phèdre pour  Hippolyte (unité d’action) et que toute la pièce se déroule dans une même ville, Trézène, (unité de lieux).

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Une séquence sur Phèdre de Racine

Cours 1 : Introduction à Phèdre (contextes, sources et structure)    

Cours 2 : Une pièce d’amour et de politique (étude de la scène d’exposition)    

Cours 3 : La passion comme autodestruction (lecture analytique I-3)    

Texte complémentaire : Léo Spitzer, « L’effet de sourdine dans le style classique »    

Cours 4 : Une autre représentation de la passion, pureté et galanterie (étude suivie des aveux d’Aricie en II-1 et d’Hippolyte en II-2)    

Cours 5 : Passion et imagination (lecture analytique II-5)    

Textes complémentaires : Quelques considérations sur la passion au XVIIe siècle (étude de la dialectique raison-passion)    

Leçon de grammaire et exercices : L’interrogation    

Cours 6 : Les passions sous tension (étude suivie de l’acte III)    

Mise à jour : 15 février 2022

• Phedre_Cours_1__2__3.docx (docx, 56 Ko)
• Phedre_Cours_4__5.docx (docx, 40 Ko)
• Phedre_Cours_6__7__8.docx (docx, 56 Ko)
• _OE3SQ1__Dissertations.docx (docx, 11.75 Ko)

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40 pages • 1 hour read

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Acts III-IV

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Summary and Study Guide

Phèdre is a tragedy by the French dramatist Jean Racine (1639-1699), first performed in 1677. The tragedy retells a story from Greek mythology about the Athenian queen Phaedra’s love for her stepson, Hippolytus , and the terrible consequences of this love. Drawing on ancient tragedies by Euripides and Seneca, Racine’s treatment of the myth explores the themes of Forbidden Love and Desire , The Relationship Between Heredity and Fate , and The Importance of Honor and Duty . Though initially unsuccessful, Phèdre has come to be regarded as one of Racine’s most important plays, inspiring numerous performances, adaptations, and translations.

This study guide uses Kenneth Muir’s 1960 translation of the play from the 8th edition of Racine: Phaedra , Andromache, Berenice, Athaliah, Britannicus , published by Hill and Wang.

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Content Warning: The source material of this study guide features death by suicide and contains discussions about sexual violence. This guide includes language and concepts from the source material that may be considered outdated, such as “servant,” “virgin,” “victim,” and “mistress.” When possible, the language is either altered or quoted.

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The play is set at Troezen, at the house of the Athenian king Theseus . Act I begins with Hippolytus, Theseus’s son from one of his early affairs, telling his tutor Theramenes of his plans to leave Troezen in search of his father, who has been absent for six months. He admits that in leaving Troezen he also hopes to cure himself of his forbidden love for Aricia , sentenced to a life of celibacy after Theseus wiped out the rest of her family.

As Hippolytus and Theramenes exit, Phaedra enters with her nurse and confidante, Oenone . Phaedra has long been suffering from a mysterious condition that manifests itself in periodic raving fits. Pressed by Oenone, Phaedra finally confesses the cause: She is in love with her stepson Hippolytus, but would rather die than dishonor herself by acting on her feelings. However, when the domestic worker Panope comes to announce that Theseus is dead and the succession is now in dispute, Oenone advises Phaedra to take advantage of her love for her stepson by making an alliance with him to preserve her young son’s claim to the throne.

Act II begins with a conversation between Aricia and her servant Ismene. Aricia reveals to Ismene that she is in love with Hippolytus. Hippolytus soon arrives to tell Aricia that, with Theseus dead, she will no longer be bound by her punishment, and declares his own love for her. Phaedra arrives with Oenone to speak with Hippolytus about the royal claim of her son, but as she becomes overcome by emotion, she finally confesses to Hippolytus that she is in love with him. Hippolytus is horrified. Phaedra, rejected, takes Hippolytus’s sword and is on the verge of using it to end her life when Theramenes enters with the news that Theseus may not be dead after all.

Act III begins with the desperate Phaedra sending Oenone to ask Hippolytus to make an alliance with her to share the throne: His response, she decides, will determine her fate. Oenone promptly returns with the surprising news that Theseus is alive and has returned. Oenone urges Phaedra to adopt a new plan to avoid being dishonored when her feelings for Hippolytus are revealed, fabricating a story that Hippolytus forcefully assaulted her. Phaedra agrees to Oenone’s plan. Theseus, meanwhile, is disappointed by how coldly Phaedra and Hippolytus welcome him, each of them anxious about their own secret loves.

In Act IV, Oenone has told Theseus that Hippolytus has attempted to violate Phaedra by force, presenting Hippolytus’s sword—left behind by him in Act II—as proof. Theseus, furious, banishes Hippolytus and asks the god Neptune to bring about his death. When Theseus confronts him, Hippolytus protests that he is innocent but does not betray Phaedra’s secret. He admits that he is in love with Aricia, not Phaedra, but Theseus does not believe him. Hippolytus departs into exile. Phaedra, finding out what has happened and fearing that Hippolytus will die because of her actions, goes to Theseus to tell him the truth. However, when she learns of Hippolytus’s love for Aricia, she is so consumed by jealousy that she breaks off her defense of Hippolytus and decides to leave him to his fate. She then turns on Oenone, blaming her for what has happened and banishing her.

In Act V, the final Act, Hippolytus says goodbye to Aricia after promising to marry her. Theseus, meanwhile, begins to have doubts, and decides to question Oenone, but Oenone has already died by suicide. Theramenes arrives with news that Hippolytus is dead: While he was riding his chariot along the coast, a monster emerged from the waves, terrifying Hippolytus’s horses and causing them to trample him. Phaedra storms in and confesses the truth to Theseus before succumbing to a poison she has consumed to end her life. Theseus, regretting his hasty judgment, adopts Aricia as his daughter as an act of atonement.

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‘Neither Completely Guilty nor Completely Innocent’: Representing Injustice in Jean Racine’s Phèdre

2020, Early Modern French Studies 42.2

The eponymous protagonist of Phèdre emerges as a true tragic heroine by exercising her own free will to commit wrong instead of being a mere victim of fate. Criticism focusing on injustice has tended to shine light on Thésée, denying Phèdre royal sovereignty just as French Salic law did to queens. By shifting the spotlight from Thésée to Phèdre, and from the idea of judgment as a means of redressing injustice to injustice resulting from the challenges of governance and self-governance in royal leaders, we will see that Phèdre’s gender has tended to obscure the important connection suggested between injustice and the exercise of monarchical power. The gender of the eponymous heroine of the play operates as a cover: by associating wrongdoing with a female monarch, a literal impossibility in France, Racine is able to delve into particularly controversial aspects of unjust governance as experienced in his day and age.

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This paper is an attempt to reconsider the aesthetics of tragedy in the work of the seventeenth-century dramatist Jean Racine. The purpose of the essay is twofold. On the one hand, the intention is to re-invigorate the reading of a dramatist whose work is too easily buried beneath labels such as "French Classicism." On the other, an attempt is made to use this re-reading to cast new light on some of the central questions of representation, pleasure and tragedy that were to become fundamental to later developments in aesthetic theory in the century that followed. We could cast Racine's rejection of his mentor Pierre Nicole in familiar terms, describing it as the rejection of a repressive theological moralizing in favor of a hard-won "expressive freedom." However, a closer examination of both Nicole's aesthetics and Racine's dramatic art reveals a different picture. As this paper will show, Nicole's critique of seventeenth-century aesthetic practice is complex, nuanced, and trenchant. It is a critique that succeeds in posing significant questions about representation, self and other, and about the mechanics of "tragic pleasure." In turn, Racine's more private reflections (in his notes on Aristotle) as well as the development of his dramatic practice, indicate not a rejection, but a serious attempt to appropriate this critique, and transform his own dramatic practice in response to it.

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Here is yet another tragedy, the subject of which is taken from Euripides. Although I have followed a somewhat different route from that of this author in the conduct of the action, I have not stopped enriching my play with all that seemed to me most brilliant in his. When I owed him only the sole idea of ​​Phèdre’s character, I could say that I owe him what I have perhaps put most reasonable on the stage. I am not surprised that this character had such a happy success in Euripides’ time, and that it has still succeeded so well in our century, since it has all the qualities that Aristotle asks for in the hero of tragedy. , and which are calculated to excite compassion and terror. Indeed, Phèdre is neither entirely guilty, nor entirely innocent: she is committed, by her destiny and by the anger of the gods, in an illegitimate passion of which she was the first to abhor: she made all her efforts to overcome it: she preferred to let herself die than to declare it to no one; and when she is forced to discover it, she speaks of it with a confusion which shows clearly that her crime is rather a punishment from the gods than a movement of her will.

I even took care to make her a little less odious than she is in the tragedies of the Ancients, where she resolves of herself to accuse Hippolyte. I believed that there was something too low and too dark in calumny to put it in the mouth of a princess who, moreover, has such noble and virtuous feelings. This baseness seemed to me more suitable for a nurse, who might have more servile inclinations, and who nevertheless only undertakes this false accusation to save the life and honor of her mistress. Phèdre only gives her hands to it because she is in an agitation of the mind which puts her beside herself; and it comes a moment later for the purpose of justifying innocence, and declaring the truth.

Hippolyte is accused, in Euripides and in Seneca, of having indeed raped his stepmother:  vim corpus tulit  [1]  . But here he is only accused of having had the design. I wanted to spare Theseus a confusion which could have made him less pleasant to the spectators.

As for the character of Hippolytus, I had noticed in the Ancients that Euripides was reproached for having represented him as a philosopher free from all imperfection: which meant that the death of this young prince caused much more damage. indignation that pity. I thought it my duty to give him some weakness which would make him a little guilty towards his father, without however depriving him of that greatness of soul with which he spares the honor of Phèdre, and allows himself to be oppressed without accusing him. I call weakness the passion he feels in spite of himself for Aricie, who is the daughter and sister of his father’s mortal enemies.

This Aricia is not a character of my invention. Virgil says that Hippolytus married him, and had a son, after Aesculapius had raised him  [2]  . And I read again in a few authors that Hippolytus had married and brought to Italy a young Athenian of great birth, who was called Aricia, and who had given her name to a small town in Italy.

I report these authorities, because I have very scrupulously attached myself to following the fable. I even followed the story of Theseus, as it is in Plutarch.

It was in this historian that I found that what had given occasion to believe that Theseus had descended into hell to abduct Proserpina, was a trip that this prince had made in Epirus to the source of Acheron, to a king whose wife Pirithoüs wanted to kidnap, and who arrested Theseus prisoner, after having killed Pirithoüs. Thus I have tried to preserve the verisimilitude of the story, without losing any of the ornaments of the fable, which furnishes poetry extremely; and the rumor of Theseus’ death, based on this fabulous journey, gives rise to Phèdre to make a declaration of love which becomes one of the main causes of her misfortune, and which she would never have dared to do as long as she would have thought her husband was alive.

Besides, I still dare not assure that this play is indeed the best of my tragedies. I leave it to the readers and to the time to decide on its true price. What I can assure is that I have not done any where virtue is more brought to light than in this one; the slightest faults are severely punished there: the mere thought of crime is regarded with as much horror as the crime itself; the weaknesses of love pass there for real weaknesses: the passions are only presented to the eyes to show all the disorder to which they are the cause; and vice is painted there everywhere with colors which make its deformity known and hated. This is properly the goal that every man who works for the public must propose to himself; and that’s what the first tragic poets had everything in view. Their theater was a school where virtue was no less well taught than in the schools of the philosophers. Also Aristotle was kind enough to give rules of the dramatic poem; and Socrates, the wisest of philosophers, did not disdain to put his hand in the tragedies of Euripides. It would be hoped that our works were as solid and as full of useful instructions as those of these poets. This would perhaps be a way of reconciling the tragedy with many people famous for their piety and for their doctrine, who have condemned it in recent times and who would doubtless judge it more favorably, if the authors thought so much of instructing their spectators than to entertain them, and whether they followed in this the true intention of the tragedy.

• ↑   Act. III, sc  ii  .
• ↑  Æneid  . lib VII.

“Phèdre (Racine), Didot, 1854.”  Wikisource . 14 Oct 2017, 22:30 UTC. Oct. 14, 2017, <// fr.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Ph%C3%A8dre_(Racine), _ Didot, _1854 & oldid = 6983741> . The English version was transferred to Pressbooks by Ryerson Library. The texts in Wikisource are available under  the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharing license  under  the same conditions.

Phaedra: A Tragedy Copyright © 2020 by "Phèdre (Racine), Didot, 1854." Wikisource. 14 Oct 2017, 22:30 UTC. Oct. 14, 2017. The English version was transferred to Pressbooks by Ryerson Library. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Commentaire et dissertation

Sujet de dissertation.

Sujet de dissertation. Dans ce cours, nous te proposons un sujet de dissertation. (pour retrouver toute la méthodologie de la dissertation clique ICI ). D’abord, le sujet sera analysé puis traité sous forme de plan détaillé. Nous prendrons un sujet de dissertation qui porte sur Phèdre de Jean Racine. Il s’agira de montrer comment étudier un sujet de dissertation. Puis, nous proposerons un plan afin de répondre à la question posée par le sujet.

Enoncé du sujet de dissertation

Dans sa pièce La Machine infernale , Jean Cocteau dit de la tragédie que c’est « une des plus parfaites machines construites par les dieux infernaux pour l’anéantissement mathématique d’un mortel ».   Cette définition vous paraît-elle rendre entièrement compte de la tragédie Phèdre de Racine ? Vous aurez soin d’argumenter en illustrant votre point de vue avec des exemples précis empruntés à la pièce Phèdre de Racine.

1. L’analyse du sujet de dissertation

A. relever les mots-clés.

D’abord, tu dois relever les mots-clés pour essayer de comprendre les enjeux du sujet:

• Premièrement, on relève « tragédie ».
• Puis « machines »
• Ensuite « dieux »
• « Anéantissement »
• Enfin « mortel »
• Il ne faudra pas oublier d’appliquer la réflexion à Phèdre de Racine UNIQUEMENT.

Cette première étape du travail au brouillon te permet de ne pas faire de hors sujet.

B. Reformuler le sujet de dissertation

L’idéal est de pouvoir s’aider du dictionnaire afin de chercher la définition des mots. En effet, cela te permet de vérifier que tu n’as pas oublié un sens important du mot. Si le travail est effectué en classe ou dans les conditions du baccalauréat, prends le temps de réfléchir et de vérifier que tu as pris en compte les différents aspects des mots.

Ici: est-ce que la tragédie est une construction mécanique des dieux amenant inévitablement les humains vers la mort?

2. La recherche des arguments et des exemples

A. rappel méthodologique.

• D’abord, tu dois lister les idées qui te viennent concernant le sujet directement sur ton brouillon.
• De même, note les exemples du texte dont tu te souviens. Soit, tu connais des citations précises du texte, tu dois alors les reporter dans leur intégralité. Soit, tu ne connais pas les citations mais tu te souviens que dans tel acte, il se produit telle chose. Tu vas alors raconter le passage de sorte à montrer le lien avec ton propos.
• Puis, une fois que tu as un nombre suffisant d’exemples et d’arguments, tu vas devoir les organiser dans un plan progressif .

B. Application de la méthodologie au sujet de dissertation

Problématique : qui est à l’origine de la machine à détruire qu’est la tragédie ?

Introduction de la dissertation (si tu veux la méthode et un exemple rédigé , clique ICI )

I) thèse : une machine des dieux infernaux pour détruire les mortels (machine à tuer), a/construction d’une machine théâtrale.

• D’abord, les règles du théâtre classique : unité de lieu, de temps et d’action.
• Ensuite, la vraisemblance et la bienséance .
• Enfin, l’écriture racinienne avec des alexandrins à rimes plates .

B/Anéantissement mathématique : une programmation

• Premièrement, la tension dramatique est employée, en particulier lors de la disparition de Thésée puis son retour.
• Deuxièmement, la mort de Phèdre semble programmée dès son entrée en scène à l’acte I, scène 3.

C/Destruction des mortels par les dieux

• En effet, dans la tragédie classique racinienne, les mortels semblent les jouets de dieux démiurgiques. Ainsi, le destin de Phèdre semble tracé. D’une part, elle est marquée par le sceau d’une lignée maudite, d’autre part Vénus semble régir sa vie.
• De même, la mort d’Hippolyte est inéluctable. Son père Thésée demande aux dieux de venger l’offense de son fils qui aurait abusé de Phèdre pendant l’absence de son père. Mais, dès que celui-ci découvre qu’il a été trompé par Phèdre et par Oenone, il en appelle aux dieux pour protéger son fils mais il est déjà trop tard et Hippolyte a succombé face au monstre.

II) Antithèse : la tragédie est-elle alors « la plus parfaite machine » pour l’anéantissement de l’humain ?

A/honneur et grandeur des héros et héroïnes .

• Hippolyte est une figure exemplaire qui refuse de se compromettre quoi qu’il lui en coûte dans sa relation avec son père, il ose même avouer son amour interdit pour Aricie.
• Il en va de même pour Aricie qui fait preuve de dignité face aux épreuves que le destin lui impose: captive de Thésée, puis amoureuse d’Hippolyte…

B/Des héros imparfaits

• Mais les héros tragiques sont aussi ceux de la vraisemblance, ils ne doivent pas être tout à fait coupables ni tout à fait innocents pour revêtir l’humanité nécessaire. S’ils étaient trop idéalisés, ils ne permettraient pas aux spectateurs de se reconnaître en eux, dans leur condition humaine.
• Ainsi, Thésée apparaît comme une figure paternelle et responsable. Pourtant comme le souligne Phèdre, il n’est pas un héros manichéen car il est un époux volage.

C/Catharsis : pitié et terreur

• Or cette humanité est absolument essentielle pour que les spectateurs soient touchés par le mécanisme de la catharsis . Cette purification des passions est au coeur de la tragédie. Il s’agit en fait de montrer aux spectateurs des héros qui commettent des erreurs et qui sont punis pour ces erreurs.
• Ainsi, la catharsis repose sur la pitié pour le personnage qui souffre. Effectivement, parce qu’il est imparfait, le héros est humain. La souffrance qu’il ressent peut être ressentie également par le public.
• En outre, la catharsis doit provoquer la terreur du spectateur qui, à l’issue de la représentation, ne sera pas tenté de commettre les mêmes erreurs que le héros car il a pu observer quelles en sont les conséquences terribles. Par exemple, les erreurs commises par Phèdre montrent son humanité, sa faiblesse. Or le public ne peut que constater qu’elle est châtiée pour son infidélité, pour sa passion, pour ses mensonges etc.

III)Synthèse : Morale et passion comme mécanisme tragique

La question qui se pose alors est de savoir si les dieux infernaux ont la maitrise de la situation ou si la tragédie se résout au niveau humain. En effet, la mise en évidence du seul aspect sacré ne suffit pas à rendre compte de la perfection du Phèdre de Racine.

A/La question morale de la culpabilité et du libre arbitre

• Au fond, la question se pose de savoir si comme le dit la pensée jésuite, Phèdre pourrait racheter son âme par une attitude pieuse ou, si comme le montre la pièce, les Dieux ont la main mise sur sa vie entière.
• En effet, à divers moments dans la pièce Phèdre se sent coupable. A l’acte I, scène 3, d’aimer son beau-fils, puis à la fin de la pièce d’être à l’origine de sa mort. Mais peut-elle se racheter par des actes positifs?

B/La passion humaine et ses limites

• D’abord, la question du rôle néfaste des passions sur la vie humaine est largement débattue au XVIIème siècle. La littérature comme la philosophie s’en emparent.
• La question de l’amour incestueux de Phèdre pour son beau-fils est mise en scène elle renonce à son propre fils pour accomplir son rôle  de femme. D’ailleurs la mise en scène de Patrice Chéreau le montre bien, elle tient la main de son fils qui n’est qu’un jeune garçon. Puis, elle finit par lâcher sa main pour aller vers celui qu’elle aime.

C/La question politique

• Avant tout, il convient de rappeler que la tragédie classique combine deux sujets de prédilection: la passion et la politique.
• La tragédie pose toujours une interrogation humaine qui est celle de la gestion de la cité, du règne sur la population de la ville de Trézène acte I scène 1 (Hippolyte/Théramène).

Nous espérons que cette fiche a pu t’intéresser. N’hésite pas à poster des questions dans les commentaires. Tu seras peut-être intéressé par les fiches suivantes:

– Méthode de la dissertation

– Exemple sujet de dissertation

– Introduction de la dissertation

– Comment faire une dissertation?

– Plan de dissertation

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How To Write A Dissertation Introduction Chapter:

The 7 essential ingredients of an a-grade introduction.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA). Reviewed By Dr Eunice Rautenbach (D. Tech) | March 2020

If you’re reading this, you’re probably at the daunting early phases of writing up the introduction chapter of your dissertation or thesis. It can be intimidating, I know. 

In this post, we’ll look at the 7 essential ingredients of a strong dissertation or thesis introduction chapter, as well as the essential things you need to keep in mind as you craft each section. We’ll also share some useful tips to help you optimize your approach.

Overview: How To Write An Introduction Chapter

• Understand the purpose and function of the intro chapter
• Craft an enticing and engaging opening section
• Provide a background and context to the study
• Clearly define the research problem
• State your research aims, objectives and questions
• Explain the significance of your study
• Identify the limitations of your research
• Outline the structure of your dissertation or thesis

A quick sidenote:

You’ll notice that I’ve used the words dissertation and thesis interchangeably. While these terms reflect different levels of research – for example, Masters vs PhD-level research – the introduction chapter generally contains the same 7 essential ingredients regardless of level. So, in this post, dissertation introduction equals thesis introduction.

Start with why.

To craft a high-quality dissertation or thesis introduction chapter, you need to understand exactly what this chapter needs to achieve. In other words, what’s its purpose ? As the name suggests, the introduction chapter needs to introduce the reader to your research so that they understand what you’re trying to figure out, or what problem you’re trying to solve. More specifically, you need to answer four important questions in your introduction chapter.

These questions are:

• What will you be researching? (in other words, your research topic)
• Why is that worthwhile? (in other words, your justification)
• What will the scope of your research be? (in other words, what will you cover and what won’t you cover)
• What will the limitations of your research be? (in other words, what will the potential shortcomings of your research be?)

Simply put, your dissertation’s introduction chapter needs to provide an overview of your planned research , as well as a clear rationale for it. In other words, this chapter has to explain the “what” and the “why” of your research – what’s it all about and why’s that important.

Simple enough, right?

Well, the trick is finding the appropriate depth of information. As the researcher, you’ll be extremely close to your topic and this makes it easy to get caught up in the minor details. While these intricate details might be interesting, you need to write your introduction chapter on more of a “need-to-know” type basis, or it will end up way too lengthy and dense. You need to balance painting a clear picture with keeping things concise. Don’t worry though – you’ll be able to explore all the intricate details in later chapters.

Now that you understand what you need to achieve from your introduction chapter, we can get into the details. While the exact requirements for this chapter can vary from university to university, there are seven core components that most universities will require. We call these the seven essential ingredients . 

The 7 Essential Ingredients

• The opening section – where you’ll introduce the reader to your research in high-level terms
• The background to the study – where you’ll explain the context of your project
• The research problem – where you’ll explain the “gap” that exists in the current research
• The research aims , objectives and questions – where you’ll clearly state what your research will aim to achieve
• The significance (or justification) – where you’ll explain why your research is worth doing and the value it will provide to the world
• The limitations – where you’ll acknowledge the potential limitations of your project and approach
• The structure – where you’ll briefly outline the structure of your dissertation or thesis to help orient the reader

By incorporating these seven essential ingredients into your introduction chapter, you’ll comprehensively cover both the “ what ” and the “ why ” I mentioned earlier – in other words, you’ll achieve the purpose of the chapter.

Side note – you can also use these 7 ingredients in this order as the structure for your chapter to ensure a smooth, logical flow. This isn’t essential, but, generally speaking, it helps create an engaging narrative that’s easy for your reader to understand. If you’d like, you can also download our free introduction chapter template here.

Alright – let’s look at each of the ingredients now.

#1 – The Opening Section

The very first essential ingredient for your dissertation introduction is, well, an introduction or opening section. Just like every other chapter, your introduction chapter needs to start by providing a brief overview of what you’ll be covering in the chapter.

This section needs to engage the reader with clear, concise language that can be easily understood and digested. If the reader (your marker!) has to struggle through it, they’ll lose interest, which will make it harder for you to earn marks. Just because you’re writing an academic paper doesn’t mean you can ignore the basic principles of engaging writing used by marketers, bloggers, and journalists. At the end of the day, you’re all trying to sell an idea – yours is just a research idea.

So, what goes into this opening section?

Well, while there’s no set formula, it’s a good idea to include the following four foundational sentences in your opening section:

1 – A sentence or two introducing the overall field of your research.

For example:

“Organisational skills development involves identifying current or potential skills gaps within a business and developing programs to resolve these gaps. Management research, including X, Y and Z, has clearly established that organisational skills development is an essential contributor to business growth.”

2 – A sentence introducing your specific research problem.

“However, there are conflicting views and an overall lack of research regarding how best to manage skills development initiatives in highly dynamic environments where subject knowledge is rapidly and continuously evolving – for example, in the website development industry.”

3 – A sentence stating your research aims and objectives.

“This research aims to identify and evaluate skills development approaches and strategies for highly dynamic industries in which subject knowledge is continuously evolving.”.

4 – A sentence outlining the layout of the chapter.

“This chapter will provide an introduction to the study by first discussing the background and context, followed by the research problem, the research aims, objectives and questions, the significance and finally, the limitations.”

As I mentioned, this opening section of your introduction chapter shouldn’t be lengthy . Typically, these four sentences should fit neatly into one or two paragraphs, max. What you’re aiming for here is a clear, concise introduction to your research – not a detailed account.

PS – If some of this terminology sounds unfamiliar, don’t stress – I’ll explain each of the concepts later in this post.

#2 – Background to the study

Now that you’ve provided a high-level overview of your dissertation or thesis, it’s time to go a little deeper and lay a foundation for your research topic. This foundation is what the second ingredient is all about – the background to your study.

So, what is the background section all about?

Well, this section of your introduction chapter should provide a broad overview of the topic area that you’ll be researching, as well as the current contextual factors . This could include, for example, a brief history of the topic, recent developments in the area, key pieces of research in the area and so on. In other words, in this section, you need to provide the relevant background information to give the reader a decent foundational understanding of your research area.

Let’s look at an example to make this a little more concrete.

If we stick with the skills development topic I mentioned earlier, the background to the study section would start by providing an overview of the skills development area and outline the key existing research. Then, it would go on to discuss how the modern-day context has created a new challenge for traditional skills development strategies and approaches. Specifically, that in many industries, technical knowledge is constantly and rapidly evolving, and traditional education providers struggle to keep up with the pace of new technologies.

Importantly, you need to write this section with the assumption that the reader is not an expert in your topic area. So, if there are industry-specific jargon and complex terminology, you should briefly explain that here , so that the reader can understand the rest of your document.

Don’t make assumptions about the reader’s knowledge – in most cases, your markers will not be able to ask you questions if they don’t understand something. So, always err on the safe side and explain anything that’s not common knowledge.

#3 – The research problem

Now that you’ve given your reader an overview of your research area, it’s time to get specific about the research problem that you’ll address in your dissertation or thesis. While the background section would have eluded to a potential research problem (or even multiple research problems), the purpose of this section is to narrow the focus and highlight the specific research problem you’ll focus on.

But, what exactly is a research problem, you ask?

Well, a research problem can be any issue or question for which there isn’t already a well-established and agreed-upon answer in the existing research. In other words, a research problem exists when there’s a need to answer a question (or set of questions), but there’s a gap in the existing literature , or the existing research is conflicting and/or inconsistent.

So, to present your research problem, you need to make it clear what exactly is missing in the current literature and why this is a problem . It’s usually a good idea to structure this discussion into three sections – specifically:

• What’s already well-established in the literature (in other words, the current state of research)
• What’s missing in the literature (in other words, the literature gap)
• Why this is a problem (in other words, why it’s important to fill this gap)

Let’s look at an example of this structure using the skills development topic.

Organisational skills development is critically important for employee satisfaction and company performance (reference). Numerous studies have investigated strategies and approaches to manage skills development programs within organisations (reference).

(this paragraph explains what’s already well-established in the literature)

However, these studies have traditionally focused on relatively slow-paced industries where key skills and knowledge do not change particularly often. This body of theory presents a problem for industries that face a rapidly changing skills landscape – for example, the website development industry – where new platforms, languages and best practices emerge on an extremely frequent basis.

(this paragraph explains what’s missing from the literature)

As a result, the existing research is inadequate for industries in which essential knowledge and skills are constantly and rapidly evolving, as it assumes a slow pace of knowledge development. Industries in such environments, therefore, find themselves ill-equipped in terms of skills development strategies and approaches.

(this paragraph explains why the research gap is problematic)

As you can see in this example, in a few lines, we’ve explained (1) the current state of research, (2) the literature gap and (3) why that gap is problematic. By doing this, the research problem is made crystal clear, which lays the foundation for the next ingredient.

#4 – The research aims, objectives and questions

Now that you’ve clearly identified your research problem, it’s time to identify your research aims and objectives , as well as your research questions . In other words, it’s time to explain what you’re going to do about the research problem.

So, what do you need to do here?

Well, the starting point is to clearly state your research aim (or aims) . The research aim is the main goal or the overarching purpose of your dissertation or thesis. In other words, it’s a high-level statement of what you’re aiming to achieve.

Let’s look at an example, sticking with the skills development topic:

“Given the lack of research regarding organisational skills development in fast-moving industries, this study will aim to identify and evaluate the skills development approaches utilised by web development companies in the UK”.

As you can see in this example, the research aim is clearly outlined, as well as the specific context in which the research will be undertaken (in other words, web development companies in the UK).

Next up is the research objective (or objectives) . While the research aims cover the high-level “what”, the research objectives are a bit more practically oriented, looking at specific things you’ll be doing to achieve those research aims.

Let’s take a look at an example of some research objectives (ROs) to fit the research aim.

• RO1 – To identify common skills development strategies and approaches utilised by web development companies in the UK.
• RO2 – To evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies and approaches.
• RO3 – To compare and contrast these strategies and approaches in terms of their strengths and weaknesses.

As you can see from this example, these objectives describe the actions you’ll take and the specific things you’ll investigate in order to achieve your research aims. They break down the research aims into more specific, actionable objectives.

The final step is to state your research questions . Your research questions bring the aims and objectives another level “down to earth”. These are the specific questions that your dissertation or theses will seek to answer. They’re not fluffy, ambiguous or conceptual – they’re very specific and you’ll need to directly answer them in your conclusions chapter .

The research questions typically relate directly to the research objectives and sometimes can look a bit obvious, but they are still extremely important. Let’s take a look at an example of the research questions (RQs) that would flow from the research objectives I mentioned earlier.

• RQ1 – What skills development strategies and approaches are currently being used by web development companies in the UK?
• RQ2 – How effective are each of these strategies and approaches?
• RQ3 – What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of these strategies and approaches?

As you can see, the research questions mimic the research objectives , but they are presented in question format. These questions will act as the driving force throughout your dissertation or thesis – from the literature review to the methodology and onward – so they’re really important.

A final note about this section – it’s really important to be clear about the scope of your study (more technically, the delimitations ). In other words, what you WILL cover and what you WON’T cover. If your research aims, objectives and questions are too broad, you’ll risk losing focus or investigating a problem that is too big to solve within a single dissertation.

Simply put, you need to establish clear boundaries in your research. You can do this, for example, by limiting it to a specific industry, country or time period. That way, you’ll ringfence your research, which will allow you to investigate your topic deeply and thoroughly – which is what earns marks!

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#5 – Significance

Now that you’ve made it clear what you’ll be researching, it’s time to make a strong argument regarding your study’s importance and significance . In other words, now that you’ve covered the what, it’s time to cover the why – enter essential ingredient number 5 – significance.

Of course, by this stage, you’ve already briefly alluded to the importance of your study in your background and research problem sections, but you haven’t explicitly stated how your research findings will benefit the world . So, now’s your chance to clearly state how your study will benefit either industry , academia , or – ideally – both . In other words, you need to explain how your research will make a difference and what implications it will have.

Let’s take a look at an example.

“This study will contribute to the body of knowledge on skills development by incorporating skills development strategies and approaches for industries in which knowledge and skills are rapidly and constantly changing. This will help address the current shortage of research in this area and provide real-world value to organisations operating in such dynamic environments.”

As you can see in this example, the paragraph clearly explains how the research will help fill a gap in the literature and also provide practical real-world value to organisations.

This section doesn’t need to be particularly lengthy, but it does need to be convincing . You need to “sell” the value of your research here so that the reader understands why it’s worth committing an entire dissertation or thesis to it. This section needs to be the salesman of your research. So, spend some time thinking about the ways in which your research will make a unique contribution to the world and how the knowledge you create could benefit both academia and industry – and then “sell it” in this section.

#6 – The limitations

Now that you’ve “sold” your research to the reader and hopefully got them excited about what’s coming up in the rest of your dissertation, it’s time to briefly discuss the potential limitations of your research.

But you’re probably thinking, hold up – what limitations? My research is well thought out and carefully designed – why would there be limitations?

Well, no piece of research is perfect . This is especially true for a dissertation or thesis – which typically has a very low or zero budget, tight time constraints and limited researcher experience. Generally, your dissertation will be the first or second formal research project you’ve ever undertaken, so it’s unlikely to win any research awards…

Simply put, your research will invariably have limitations. Don’t stress yourself out though – this is completely acceptable (and expected). Even “professional” research has limitations – as I said, no piece of research is perfect. The key is to recognise the limitations upfront and be completely transparent about them, so that future researchers are aware of them and can improve the study’s design to minimise the limitations and strengthen the findings.

Generally, you’ll want to consider at least the following four common limitations. These are:

• Your scope – for example, perhaps your focus is very narrow and doesn’t consider how certain variables interact with each other.
• Your research methodology – for example, a qualitative methodology could be criticised for being overly subjective, or a quantitative methodology could be criticised for oversimplifying the situation (learn more about methodologies here ).
• Your resources – for example, a lack of time, money, equipment and your own research experience.
• The generalisability of your findings – for example, the findings from the study of a specific industry or country can’t necessarily be generalised to other industries or countries.

Don’t be shy here. There’s no use trying to hide the limitations or weaknesses of your research. In fact, the more critical you can be of your study, the better. The markers want to see that you are aware of the limitations as this demonstrates your understanding of research design – so be brutal.

#7 – The structural outline

Now that you’ve clearly communicated what your research is going to be about, why it’s important and what the limitations of your research will be, the final ingredient is the structural outline.The purpose of this section is simply to provide your reader with a roadmap of what to expect in terms of the structure of your dissertation or thesis.

In this section, you’ll need to provide a brief summary of each chapter’s purpose and contents (including the introduction chapter). A sentence or two explaining what you’ll do in each chapter is generally enough to orient the reader. You don’t want to get too detailed here – it’s purely an outline, not a summary of your research.

Let’s look at an example:

In Chapter One, the context of the study has been introduced. The research objectives and questions have been identified, and the value of such research argued. The limitations of the study have also been discussed.

In Chapter Two, the existing literature will be reviewed and a foundation of theory will be laid out to identify key skills development approaches and strategies within the context of fast-moving industries, especially technology-intensive industries.

In Chapter Three, the methodological choices will be explored. Specifically, the adoption of a qualitative, inductive research approach will be justified, and the broader research design will be discussed, including the limitations thereof.

So, as you can see from the example, this section is simply an outline of the chapter structure, allocating a short paragraph to each chapter. Done correctly, the outline will help your reader understand what to expect and reassure them that you’ll address the multiple facets of the study.

By the way – if you’re unsure of how to structure your dissertation or thesis, be sure to check out our video post which explains dissertation structure .

Keep calm and carry on.

Hopefully you feel a bit more prepared for this challenge of crafting your dissertation or thesis introduction chapter now. Take a deep breath and remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day – conquer one ingredient at a time and you’ll be firmly on the path to success.

Let’s quickly recap – the 7 ingredients are:

• The opening section – where you give a brief, high-level overview of what your research will be about.
• The study background – where you introduce the reader to key theory, concepts and terminology, as well as the context of your study.
• The research problem – where you explain what the problem with the current research is. In other words, the research gap.
• The research aims , objectives and questions – where you clearly state what your dissertation will investigate.
• The significance – where you explain what value your research will provide to the world.
• The limitations – where you explain what the potential shortcomings and limitations of your research may be.
• The structural outline – where you provide a high-level overview of the structure of your document

If you bake these ingredients into your dissertation introduction chapter, you’ll be well on your way to building an engaging introduction chapter that lays a rock-solid foundation for the rest of your document.

Remember, while we’ve covered the essential ingredients here, there may be some additional components that your university requires, so be sure to double-check your project brief!

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project. 

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40 Comments

Thanks very much for such an insight. I feel confident enough in undertaking my thesis on the survey;The future of facial recognition and learning non verbal interaction

Glad to hear that. Good luck with your thesis!

Thanks very much for such an insight. I feel confident now undertaking my thesis; The future of facial recognition and learning non verbal interaction.

Thanks so much for this article. I found myself struggling and wasting a lot of time in my thesis writing but after reading this article and watching some of your youtube videos, I now have a clear understanding of what is required for a thesis.

Thank you Derek, i find your each post so useful. Keep it up.

Thank you so much Derek ,for shedding the light and making it easier for me to handle the daunting task of academic writing .

Thanks do much Dereck for the comprehensive guide. It will assist me queit a lot in my thesis.

thanks a lot for helping

i LOVE the gifs, such a fun way to engage readers. thanks for the advice, much appreciated

Thanks a lot Derek! It will be really useful to the beginner in research!

You’re welcome

This is a well written, easily comprehensible, simple introduction to the basics of a Research Dissertation../the need to keep the reader in mind while writing the dissertation is an important point that is covered../ I appreciate the efforts of the author../

The instruction given are perfect and clear. I was supposed to take the course , unfortunately in Nepal the service is not avaialble.However, I am much more hopeful that you will provide require documents whatever you have produced so far.

Thank you very much

Thanks so much ❤️😘 I feel am ready to start writing my research methodology

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I was looking for some good blogs related to Education hopefully your article will help. Thanks for sharing.

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You just saved me from going astray in writing a Dissertation for my undergraduate studies. I could not be more grateful for such a relevant guide like this. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much Derek, this has been extremely helpful!!

I do have one question though, in the limitations part do you refer to the scope as the focus of the research on a specific industry/country/chronological period? I assume that in order to talk about whether or not the research could be generalized, the above would need to be already presented and described in the introduction.

Thank you again!

Phew! You have genuinely rescued me. I was stuck how to go about my thesis. Now l have started. Thank you.

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Thanks a lot for this masterpiece!

Powerful insight. I can now take a step

Thank you very much for these valuable introductions to thesis chapters. I saw all your videos about writing the introduction, discussion, and conclusion chapter. Then, I am wondering if we need to explain our research limitations in all three chapters, introduction, discussion, and conclusion? Isn’t it a bit redundant? If not, could you please explain how can we write in different ways? Thank you.

Excellent!!! Thank you…

Thanks for this informative content. I have a question. The research gap is mentioned in both the introduction and literature section. I would like to know how can I demonstrate the research gap in both sections without repeating the contents?

I’m incredibly grateful for this invaluable content. I’ve been dreading compiling my postgrad thesis but breaking each chapter down into sections has made it so much easier for me to engage with the material without feeling overwhelmed. After relying on your guidance, I’m really happy with how I’ve laid out my introduction.

Thank you for the informative content you provided

Hi Derrick and Team, thank you so much for the comprehensive guide on how to write a dissertation or a thesis introduction section. For some of us first-timers, it is a daunting task. However, the instruction with relevant examples makes it clear and easy to follow through. Much appreciated.

It was so helpful. God Bless you. Thanks very much

I thank you Grad coach for your priceless help. I have two questions I have learned from your video the limitations of the research presented in chapter one. but in another video also presented in chapter five. which chapter limitation should be included? If possible, I need your answer since I am doing my thesis. how can I explain If I am asked what is my motivation for this research?

Thank you guys for the great work you are doing. Honestly, you have made the research to be interesting and simplified. Even a novice will easily grasp the ideas you put forward, Thank you once again.

Excellent piece!

I feel like just settling for a good topic is usually the hardest part.

Thank you so much. My confidence has been completely destroyed during my first year of PhD and you have helped me pull myself together again

Happy to help 🙂

I am so glad I ran into your resources and did not waste time doing the wrong this. Research is now making so much sense now.

Gratitude to Derrick and the team I was looking for a solid article that would aid me in drafting the thesis’ introduction. I felt quite happy when I came across the piece you wrote because it was so well-written and insightful. I wish you success in the future.

thank you so much. God Bless you

Thank you so much Grad Coach for these helpful insights. Now I can get started, with a great deal of confidence.

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• Research paper

Writing a Research Paper Introduction | Step-by-Step Guide

Published on September 24, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on March 27, 2023.

The introduction to a research paper is where you set up your topic and approach for the reader. It has several key goals:

• Present your topic and get the reader interested
• Provide background or summarize existing research
• Position your own approach
• Detail your specific research problem and problem statement
• Give an overview of the paper’s structure

The introduction looks slightly different depending on whether your paper presents the results of original empirical research or constructs an argument by engaging with a variety of sources.

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Table of contents

Step 1: introduce your topic, step 2: describe the background, step 3: establish your research problem, step 4: specify your objective(s), step 5: map out your paper, research paper introduction examples, frequently asked questions about the research paper introduction.

The first job of the introduction is to tell the reader what your topic is and why it’s interesting or important. This is generally accomplished with a strong opening hook.

The hook is a striking opening sentence that clearly conveys the relevance of your topic. Think of an interesting fact or statistic, a strong statement, a question, or a brief anecdote that will get the reader wondering about your topic.

For example, the following could be an effective hook for an argumentative paper about the environmental impact of cattle farming:

A more empirical paper investigating the relationship of Instagram use with body image issues in adolescent girls might use the following hook:

Don’t feel that your hook necessarily has to be deeply impressive or creative. Clarity and relevance are still more important than catchiness. The key thing is to guide the reader into your topic and situate your ideas.

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This part of the introduction differs depending on what approach your paper is taking.

In a more argumentative paper, you’ll explore some general background here. In a more empirical paper, this is the place to review previous research and establish how yours fits in.

Argumentative paper: Background information

After you’ve caught your reader’s attention, specify a bit more, providing context and narrowing down your topic.

Provide only the most relevant background information. The introduction isn’t the place to get too in-depth; if more background is essential to your paper, it can appear in the body .

Empirical paper: Describing previous research

For a paper describing original research, you’ll instead provide an overview of the most relevant research that has already been conducted. This is a sort of miniature literature review —a sketch of the current state of research into your topic, boiled down to a few sentences.

This should be informed by genuine engagement with the literature. Your search can be less extensive than in a full literature review, but a clear sense of the relevant research is crucial to inform your own work.

Begin by establishing the kinds of research that have been done, and end with limitations or gaps in the research that you intend to respond to.

The next step is to clarify how your own research fits in and what problem it addresses.

Argumentative paper: Emphasize importance

In an argumentative research paper, you can simply state the problem you intend to discuss, and what is original or important about your argument.

Empirical paper: Relate to the literature

In an empirical research paper, try to lead into the problem on the basis of your discussion of the literature. Think in terms of these questions:

• What research gap is your work intended to fill?
• What limitations in previous work does it address?
• What contribution to knowledge does it make?

You can make the connection between your problem and the existing research using phrases like the following.

Now you’ll get into the specifics of what you intend to find out or express in your research paper.

The way you frame your research objectives varies. An argumentative paper presents a thesis statement, while an empirical paper generally poses a research question (sometimes with a hypothesis as to the answer).

Argumentative paper: Thesis statement

The thesis statement expresses the position that the rest of the paper will present evidence and arguments for. It can be presented in one or two sentences, and should state your position clearly and directly, without providing specific arguments for it at this point.

Empirical paper: Research question and hypothesis

The research question is the question you want to answer in an empirical research paper.

Present your research question clearly and directly, with a minimum of discussion at this point. The rest of the paper will be taken up with discussing and investigating this question; here you just need to express it.

A research question can be framed either directly or indirectly.

• This study set out to answer the following question: What effects does daily use of Instagram have on the prevalence of body image issues among adolescent girls?
• We investigated the effects of daily Instagram use on the prevalence of body image issues among adolescent girls.

If your research involved testing hypotheses , these should be stated along with your research question. They are usually presented in the past tense, since the hypothesis will already have been tested by the time you are writing up your paper.

For example, the following hypothesis might respond to the research question above:

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The final part of the introduction is often dedicated to a brief overview of the rest of the paper.

In a paper structured using the standard scientific “introduction, methods, results, discussion” format, this isn’t always necessary. But if your paper is structured in a less predictable way, it’s important to describe the shape of it for the reader.

If included, the overview should be concise, direct, and written in the present tense.

• This paper will first discuss several examples of survey-based research into adolescent social media use, then will go on to …
• This paper first discusses several examples of survey-based research into adolescent social media use, then goes on to …

Full examples of research paper introductions are shown in the tabs below: one for an argumentative paper, the other for an empirical paper.

• Argumentative paper
• Empirical paper

Are cows responsible for climate change? A recent study (RIVM, 2019) shows that cattle farmers account for two thirds of agricultural nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands. These emissions result from nitrogen in manure, which can degrade into ammonia and enter the atmosphere. The study’s calculations show that agriculture is the main source of nitrogen pollution, accounting for 46% of the country’s total emissions. By comparison, road traffic and households are responsible for 6.1% each, the industrial sector for 1%. While efforts are being made to mitigate these emissions, policymakers are reluctant to reckon with the scale of the problem. The approach presented here is a radical one, but commensurate with the issue. This paper argues that the Dutch government must stimulate and subsidize livestock farmers, especially cattle farmers, to transition to sustainable vegetable farming. It first establishes the inadequacy of current mitigation measures, then discusses the various advantages of the results proposed, and finally addresses potential objections to the plan on economic grounds.

The rise of social media has been accompanied by a sharp increase in the prevalence of body image issues among women and girls. This correlation has received significant academic attention: Various empirical studies have been conducted into Facebook usage among adolescent girls (Tiggermann & Slater, 2013; Meier & Gray, 2014). These studies have consistently found that the visual and interactive aspects of the platform have the greatest influence on body image issues. Despite this, highly visual social media (HVSM) such as Instagram have yet to be robustly researched. This paper sets out to address this research gap. We investigated the effects of daily Instagram use on the prevalence of body image issues among adolescent girls. It was hypothesized that daily Instagram use would be associated with an increase in body image concerns and a decrease in self-esteem ratings.

The introduction of a research paper includes several key elements:

• A hook to catch the reader’s interest
• Relevant background on the topic
• Details of your research problem

and your problem statement

• A thesis statement or research question
• Sometimes an overview of the paper

Don’t feel that you have to write the introduction first. The introduction is often one of the last parts of the research paper you’ll write, along with the conclusion.

This is because it can be easier to introduce your paper once you’ve already written the body ; you may not have the clearest idea of your arguments until you’ve written them, and things can change during the writing process .

The way you present your research problem in your introduction varies depending on the nature of your research paper . A research paper that presents a sustained argument will usually encapsulate this argument in a thesis statement .

A research paper designed to present the results of empirical research tends to present a research question that it seeks to answer. It may also include a hypothesis —a prediction that will be confirmed or disproved by your research.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, March 27). Writing a Research Paper Introduction | Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. Retrieved March 22, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-paper/research-paper-introduction/

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