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Period: to
French & Neoclassicism Theater
Works Cited:
Brockett, Oscer. "17th Century French Theater" The Essential Theatre, Eleventh ed., Brockett, 2015, pp. 127–187. -
Post Civil War
In the sixteenth and seventeenth century the world of theater was disrupted due to their civil war. Cardinal Richelieu believed the theater stage needed a drastic reform, and adopted some of Italy's principals to make-up the neoclassical idea (Brocket 127). -
The French Academy
The French Academy was formed by Richelieu to maintain the purity of the French language and literature (Brockett 127). -
Le Cid
The rules that were set in place by Richelieu they were not widely known or accepted until 1636. This happened once Pierre Corneille wrote "Le Cid", which became the most popular play written at that time in France. The play was viciously attacked due because of failing to adhere to some of the neoclassical rules. The French academy ruled that Le Cid was a watershed event in French drama.This controversy ultimately made neoclassicism the dominate role of the era (Brocket 128). -
Neoclassicism Era
The following Neoclassicism ideals being the most important principles. 1.Genres should be firmly restricted to tragedy and comedy, which should not be mixed. 2.Tragedy should treat royalty and nobles; comedy should treat middle and lower classes. 3. Characters should behave in a manner appropriate to their social status, gender, and ethnicity. 4. All plays should be written in five acts. 5. All plays should observe unities of time, place and action. 6. All plays should uphold poetic justice. -
French Tragedies
Jean Racine perfected the new mode after 1640. Racine and Corneille set the standards for serious playwriting in England that lasted until the nineteenth century. French tragedies were thought superior of those of Shakespeare until the 1800's (Brocket 129). -
Change of French Theater Structures
Park of the new ideal was the new theater structure. By 1650, most of the Parisian public and court theater were transformed into the Italian type picture frame stage (Brocket 129). -
Early French Opera
During this time early french opera was also popular with the French court. Composer Jean-Baptiste Lully was known for the tradition of tragicomedy, Lully worked with individuals such as Moliere and Cornielle with his musical works. -
Moliere
Moliere wrote several kinds of plays, but was the standard for comedy. His most popular piece being "Tartuffe". Moliere produced three versions due to the controversy that came from his 1664 version.Louis XIV banned the play due to objections by the Company of the Holy Sacrament. Moliere could be seen as one of the worlds greatest dramatist alongside Shakespeare (Brocket 129). -
French Revolution
The Enlightenment encouraged criticism of the corruption of Louis XVI and the aristocracy in France, leading to the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789. The French Revolution was flanked by two artistic styles, Rococo and Neo-classicism.Leading up to and following the French Revolution, Neo-classicism was the predominant artistic style in France. -
Beheadings
In 1792, Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were beheaded along with thousands of other aristocrats believed to be loyal to the monarchy.