samedi 2 janvier 2010

L'Illusion comique, Corneille

Corneille is one of the most famous French theatre authors of the 17th century. He is mostly known for his tragedy Le Cid, and only a few people know him as the prolific author of comedies as well as tragedies. The play I mention here, L'Illusion comique, is a strange one for several reasons: classical theatre is commonly known to follow some defined rules, concerning mainly the duration and place of the plot.

Here, Corneille enchants the reader by not respecting those rules and making us traveling with Clindor, the main character, whose actions are followed by his father, who rejected him ten years ago, and who asked to a magician to show him what happened to his son.

There is a hero, a funny domestic, a beautiful lover, a mean father, and the aforesaid magician, everything mixed in something which is not totally a comedy, but yet can't be called a tragedy either.

For those unfamiliar with Corneille's works that is a very interesting approach of his talent, as it was his last comedy before the writing of Le Cid.

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