MLA Texts and Translations Iphis Iante

Set in seventeenth-century France, a secret from the past challenges the union between Iphis—raised as a boy—and her beloved Iante. Familial schemes and a rival’s unspoken desire twist their fate into a spirited comedy of love triangles and dramatic ironies, with divine intervention guiding the journey. A lesbian romance from seventeenth-century France Iphis and Iante are about to be married, but Iphis has a secret: when she was born, her mother disguised her as a boy in order to save her life. Although Iphis loves Iante passionately, Iphis's mother tries to prevent the marriage in order to conceal Iphis's real identity. The bachelor Ergaste has another reason for wanting to stop the marriage, since he, like Iante, is in love with Iphis. Based on a story from Ovid's Metamorphoses, Isaac de Benserade's 34 play resolves happily with help from the gods. As the comedy unfolds, it entertains the audience through love triangles, dramatic ironies, and knowing comments about gender, drawing on familiar structures of French theatrical comedy to create a distinctly sympathetic portrayal of romantic love between women.