Reine morte, La. This 1942 Montherlant play on the traditional theme of Inès de Castro is dominated by the figure of Ferrante, the king who kills his son's wife for the good of the kingdom. His actions show the irrationality and inconsistency of human behaviour, departing from the dramatic convention of coherence and unity of character. His reasons for killing Inès are never clear; he persuades himself of the reasons not to, before doing so. This is a typical Montherlant ‘costume’ play in its Iberian background and formal stylization, which clothe a realistic and ‘unliterary’ psychological examination of human behaviour.
— Richard Griffiths
