Abstract
The article deals with persuasion in Racine's biblical tragedy Esther. It provides especially an analysis of rhetorical proofs as they are used in Esther's final récit (III, 4).
We aim to demonstrate that the rational argumentation has a key role in this religious play. Despite the fact that many of the scenes might be understood in reference to biblical verisimilitude or to the concept of "merveilleux chrétien" and even if the visual appearence of Esther has a particularly strong impact upon Assuérus' action, the Racinian use of rhetoric reinforces the theatricality of the play.