Transcript The peak of French neoclassical tragedy Phaedra

• 1550-1680
• Influence started in France and spread
throughout Europe and then the Globe.
• The French Neoclassic Period was both
tragic and comedic.
• The period was the first time women were
allowed on stage.
• It consisted of farces, heroic tragedy , and
comedy of manners.
• 1547-59: Reign of Henry II
1562-98: The Wars of Religion
1572: Massacre of Protestants on St. Bartholomew's
Eve in Paris
1589-1593: Henry IV becomes 1st Bourbon King and
converts to Catholicism, ending Wars of Religion
1608: Founding of Quebec
1617: Louis XIII crowned at the age of 17
1624: Cardinal Richelieu becomes principal minister
1631: A French newspaper carries classified ads
1642: Blaise Pascal invents the Pascaline - an automatic
calculator
1643-1715: Louis XIV becomes king with Mazarin as
principal minister
1682: Royal court moves to Versailles
(1639-1699)
The peak of French
neoclassical tragedy
Phaedra-1677
usually considred to
be the best of french
neoclassical
tragedies. Based on
Greek.
Real name- Jean Baptiste
Poquelin (1622-1673)
Was an actor and a
playwright
Headedf his own theatrical
troupe by 1660
Influenced commedia and
by Roman Comedies and
French farces
-School for Wives; Tartuffe;
The Miser; The Misanthrope
Wrote ‘Le Cid’ in 1636 - not
a great example of
neoclassical writing
He was born 1606 and
died 1684
Academy went through a
battle to declare if Le Cid
was a traditional
neoclassical comedy or not
 Women
- Ruffles (Lace)
- Cloaks
- Head Coverings
 Men
- Boots
- Hats
- Swords
• Many of the theatres were built from tennis courts.
• A famous theatre of this time includes ComédieFrançaise which was the first national theatre.
• Most of the theatres were useable by temporary or
permanent troupes.
• Decoration featues low relief plaster decoration.
• Décor Simultané- unique type of staging used in the era
in which all scenes were simultaneously in view.
• The Chambre a Quatre Portstes- a room with four doors
typical for a comedy.
• Some other famous theatres were Plais Royal.
Bibliography
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http://novaonline.nv.cc.va.us/eli/spd130et/neocfrance.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Balcony/7634/french_neoclassicism.htm
http://www.towson.edu/~quick/french.html
http://homepage.smc.edu/adair-lynch_terrin/TA%205/FrenchNeoClass.htm
School Of Wives by Moliere
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www.warwick.ac.uk/
French Neoclassical Video
Monologues by Moliere