In the event the birth went badly and the young dauphine Maria Teresa died. Voltaire claimed that the play would restore French tragedy to its classical glory, an aspiration worthy of a new prince. The theme of a ruler who poisoned her husband, fell in love with her own son and ultimately met her death was not one that appeared to have the expected celebratory qualities. When Voltaire was given the opportunity to write a piece of grand theatre to commemorate the birth of the dauphin’s first son in 1746, he selected the apparently inappropriate story of the ancient queen Semiramis. Arsace/Ninias thereby avenges his father's death. Assur tries to eliminate his rival Arsace Sémiramis tries to save her son, but is mortally wounded by him in a scuffle. Arsace learns that he is in fact Ninias, the son, presumed dead, of Sémiramis and Ninos. She now decides to marry the stranger Arsace instead of Assur, Prince of the Bélus. Sémiramis, after having her husband Ninos poisoned, now rules the Babylonian Empire. : 185 The action takes place in a courtyard in front of the palace of Sémiramis in Babylon, in front of the Hanging Gardens. The plot is very similar to that of Voltaire's earlier unsuccessful tragedy Ériphyle. Sémiramis (1746) is a tragedy in five acts by Voltaire, first performed in 1748 and published in 1749. Director’s copy for a performance of Sémiramis, Mannheim, around 1749
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