Scene 2, while basically a character study, does not remain static. It culminates in the preparation of a new ultimatum to Pyrrhus. The quadrille is now about to take another step and nothing but disaster can result from it.
Orestes' monologue in Scene 3 confirms Goldman's thesis of the characters' essential selfishness. Orestes exults at his prospective triumph, ignoring the fact that the fulfillment of his love can only come about at the price of suffering for Hermione.
Orestes' unwise optimism followed by his immediate disappointment is what a critic has called a coup de théâtre — a stunning and unexpected reversal of the previous situation. And indeed the development is highly dramatic. Scene 3 ends on a note of high expectation, but immediately these expectations are dashed by Pyrrhus' unequivocal compliance with Orestes' terms. Irony aggravates the disappointment when Pyrrhus maliciously credits Orestes' arguments and presence with his own change of heart. It should be noted that even suspense is psychological in Racine. The playwright, by choosing a well-known story, renounced any attempt to keep us in the dark about its ending. We know very well that Orestes will not win Hermione. What we do not know is how Orestes will react to his appalling disappointment.
