Major Themes and Questions French Neoclassical Theatre What elements of theatre have artists experimented with and how have they done so How has theatre reacted to both the art that came before it AND its social and political contexts For this lecture What are the characteristics of theatre in this era Political Background King Louis XIII 1601 1643 Reigns 1610 1643 Cardinal Richelieu 1585 1642 Becomes chief minister 1624 Acad mie Fran aise Role was to arbitrate language and culture Officially established 1635 40 members Rules Bienseance Decorum appropriate behavior Vraisemblance Likeliness believability Unities based on Aristotle s Poetics Time Place Action no subplots Two distinct separate genres Tragedy and Comedy Scene changes every time a character enters or exits stage Emphasizes how social rules change depending on who is in the situation Other Script Characteristics Plots from myth legend history Aristocratic characters Importance of social rules French scenes Jean Racine 1639 1699 Playwright and poet Major plays Andromaque 1667 Iphigenie 1674 Phedre 1677 The LE CID controversy Le Cid by Pierre Cornielle 1637 Popular with audiences Censured by Academie Francaise Significant effects on Cornielle s career
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