French Neoclassical Theatre 1642 1793 The Neoclassical Form

French Neoclassical Theatre 1642 -1793

The Neoclassical Form and Ideals • Neoclassicism was a movement involving all forms of art (theatre, literature, and architecture) in which the artist drew upon Classic Greek and Roman models as examples of perfection. • Neoclassical theatre observed a strict adherence to the unity of time, place, and action and also placed importance on decorum and verisimilitude (true to life) in playwriting.

The Neoclassical Form and Ideals • It was believed that there was a new classical formula for producing theatre. • These rules were called the “Neoclassical Rules of Drama”. • The five rules for producing acceptable drama were: · Verisimilitude · · Purity of the Dramatic Form Five Act Form Decorum Purpose of Drama

The Neoclassical Form and Ideals • Verisimilitude is the appearance of truth or that the play must be believable. • To aid in this believability the following three rules of reality, morality, and generality were applied. • • • Reality is composed of the unity of time, place, and action. To be realistic, the play must take place in a twenty-four hour period, must stay in the same location, and the action must be logical and credible. Morality aids verisimilitude saying the play must uphold the moral convictions of the French Academies, the nobility, and the church. Generality, on the other hand, supports verisimilitude by creating characters that are identifiable as good and proper French citizens. They were neither Commedia stereotypes nor the Medieval ‘everyman’.

The Neoclassical Form and Ideals Purity of the Dramatic Form • Plays were either tragedies or comedies. There were no combined forms. Five-Act Structure • In addition, all acceptable plays were to have 5 acts Decorum • • • Provides the audience with a sense of propriety and fair play. Characters are not unduly punished without a fair trial and all characters are represented fairly as having both good and bad traits. It was also not considered fair to slander or defame people on stage. Purpose • To the French, acceptable drama was not only entertaining but provided the audience with a moral.

The Neoclassical Form and Ideals • Most French theatre during the 16 th century was tied to its medieval heritage of mystery and morality plays but the humanist movement and the access to ancient writers such as Seneca, Euripides, and Aristophanes enabled French theatre to progress. • Neoclassical theatre became associated with grandiosity; costumes, scenery and stages were altered to fit with these new ideals.

The Neoclassical Form and Ideals • Cardinal Richelieu, Louix XIII’s Prime Minister, advocated the adoption of proscenium stages and attempted to establish some standards for French literature, many of his ideas came from Italy. • The French neoclassicists recognized only two genres (the French word for type or category) of drama, tragedy and comedy and the two forms could never be mixed.

The Neoclassical Form and Ideals • Verisimilitude in playwriting meant that the supernatural was forbidden on stage and the goal of drama was to teach. • Neoclassical productions often had special effects and sound effects with elaborate staging. • At the end of the 16 th century various forms of performance from Italy were also shown on the stages of France including Commedia dell’arte and pastorals.

Important People of the Day Pierre Corneille • Pierre Corneille was born in 1606 and began writing plays in the 1620 s during the golden age of French literature. • Corneille underwent a rigorous Jesuit upbringing and went on to study law.

Important People of the Day Pierre Corneille • Pierre Corneille’s first play in 1637 was also one of his finest. • Le Cid was described as a tragicomedy, which violated the neoclassic ideal of the time. • The play was a popular success but was harshly criticized by other writers and Corneille returned to Rouen.

Important People of the Day Pierre Corneille • Corneille continued to produce plays until 1674 and also wrote a discourse about dramatic poetry. • Known as a sort of founder of French tragedy, Corneille would later be eclipsed by Jean Racine and Moliere.

Important People of the Day Pierre Corneille • The most unique aspect of Pierre Corneille’s plays is the basic psychology of his characters. • The heroes of his tragedies are involved in political dilemmas and the problems often get involved family conflict and relations. • His characters have a desire for distinction, to be exceptional and this intense desire often is the driving force behind their acts of courage and brutality.

Important People of the Day Jean Racine • Jean Racine was born in 1639 in the Valois region of France. Through his various contacts in Paris he eventually came into contact with Moliere who took a chance on the young dramatist and produced his play La Thebaide in 1664. • In his attempts to win over the court, the public, and the critics (who were mostly friends of his rival, Pierre Corneille), Racine often chose topics that had a prevailing contemporary interest to his audience.

Important People of the Day Jean Racine • His first rousing success came in 1667 with Andromaque. The play depicted the story of a circular chain of lovers (A loves B, who loves C, who loves A) and was written like a pastoral drama. • Andromaque won over both the public and the court and earned Racine a fame that would rival Corneille’s Le Cid.

Important People of the Day Jean Racine • One of Racine greatest accomplishment was his use of alexandrine poetic line, which gave his plays harmony and elegance in their language. • His poetry allowed for expression of the depths of feeling and the creation of a passion that elicited powerful reactions from the spectators. • Racine’s characters represented the limitations of human beings as the lesson of the tragedy through their sense of

Important People of the Day Moliere • Moliere was born January 15, 1622 in Paris under the name of Jean Baptiste Poquelin. • He abandoned his bourgeois social class and began to pursue a career on stage. • Moliere began the Illustre Theatre and he also changed his name at this time. Theatre was not considered an acceptable career path and the name changed saved his family from embarrassment.

Important People of the Day Moliere • Moliere gained the favor of the King and was allowed to settle in Paris. The King also supported Moliere for the rest of his career, even though some of his plays were controversial. • Moliere directed most of his plays and would also often play lead characters in the performance.

Important People of the Day Moliere • Moliere gravitated toward comedy, which was more flexible than tragedy. • One of Moliere’s greatest works, Tartuffe, was banned for depicting the upper and dominant classes as hypocrites and its argument that supported open, tolerant morals. • The King lifted the ban in 1669 after which the play became a huge success. •

Important People of the Day Moliere • Moliere was one of, if not the sole provider of the King’s entertainment. • While performing his play The Imaginary Invalid in 1673, Moliere collapsed and later died. • He did not renounce his profession on his deathbed (actors could not be buried on sacred ground) or receive his last rites but the king intervened and Moliere was buried in the cemetery reserved for unbaptised infants

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