uvres complètes de Voltaire (Complete Works of Voltaire) 78A: Writings of 1776-1777

After his final attack on Shakespeare, the Lettre de Monsieur de Voltaire a Messieurs de l''Academie francaise , Voltaire composed Irene as a demonstration of the supremacy of French theatre. Whereas he had previously failed to win Marie Antoinette''s favour with his divertissement, L''Hote et l''hotesse , Irene finally granted him a triumphant return to Paris shortly before his death. During the years 1776-1777, Voltaire continued his fight against serfdom in the Jura region through his Supplique a M. Turgot , the Lettre du reverend pere Polycarpe and the Lettre d''un benedictin de Franche-Comte , while his Dialogue de Maxime de Madaure, entre Sophronime et Adelos reveals a preoccupation with mortality at the close of his life. See more