Subject
French drama -- 19th century Books
Best books
Alfred Jarry
Ubu Roi, ou, les Polonais
"Ubu Roi, ou, les Polonais" by Alfred Jarry is a play first performed in 1896. A wild and grotesque comedy, it follows the brutal Pa Ubu as his scheming wife convinces him to murder the King of Poland and seize power. Once crowned, Ubu terrorizes his subjects through greed and violence, sparking invasion and revolution. This shocking work scandalized audiences with its obscenity and childish chaos, yet revolutionized theater by shattering conventions and paving the way for modernism, Dadaism, and the Theatre of the Absurd.
Eugène Labiche
Le Voyage de Monsieur Perrichon: Comédie en quatre actes
"Le Voyage de Monsieur Perrichon: Comédie en quatre actes" by Eugène Labiche and Édouard Martin is a comedy first performed in 1860. Two young men compete for the hand of Henriette Perrichon during her family's vacation to Chamonix. When one suitor saves Mr. Perrichon's life, an unexpected problem arises: the rescue seems to embarrass him. The rival suitor cleverly engineers a situation where Perrichon becomes the hero instead. This shrewd comedy explores vanity, gratitude, and the contradictions of bourgeois pride.
Honoré de Balzac
Théâtre
No description available.
Maurice Maeterlinck
Théâtre 1 La Princesse Maleine (1890) - L'Intruse (1890) - Les Aveugles (1891)
"Théâtre 1" by Maurice Maeterlinck is a collection of dramatic works written in the late 19th century. This volume features three plays: "La Princesse Maleine," "L'Intruse," and "Les Aveugles." The central themes explore the intricacies of human emotions, the presence of unseen forces, and the darker aspects of existence, capturing the essence of tragic destinies often intertwined with elements of fate and despair. The beginning of "La Princesse Maleine" sets the stage in a royal environment fraught with tension and foreboding. Characters such as Prince Hjalmar and the eponymous Princess Maleine are introduced amidst signs of impending doom, highlighted by ominous omens like comets and falling stars. Initial dialogues depict the anxiety surrounding Maleine's upcoming marriage, the secrets that haunt the royal family, and the unsettling atmosphere that permeates the castle. As the story unfolds, Maleine's character emerges as fragile yet resolute, caught in the turmoil of love and ominous prophecy, while Hjalmar grapples with his fate amidst familial and socio-political strife. The tone is steeped in a haunting mystique, suggesting that love may not conquer all in this complex and darkly poetic narrative.
Victor Hugo
Ruy Blas: Drame
"Ruy Blas: Drame" by Victor Hugo is a five-act verse drama written in 1838. Set in late seventeenth-century Spain, it tells the story of Ruy Blas, a valet who secretly loves the Queen. His master, a disgraced nobleman seeking revenge against the Queen, forces Ruy Blas to pose as a nobleman and win her heart. As Ruy Blas rises to become Prime Minister and earns the Queen's love, he remains trapped by his true identity and his master's sinister plot.
Edmond Rostand
La Princesse lointaine: Pièce en quatre actes, en vers
"La Princesse lointaine: Pièce en quatre actes, en vers" by Edmond Rostand is a dramatic play written in the late 19th century. The story revolves around Joffroy Rudel, a lovesick troubadour who embarks on a perilous journey across the sea to meet his distant beloved, the Princess Mélissinde of Tripoli. The play explores themes of unrequited love and the ideals of chivalry, shaped by the romantic aspirations of its characters. The opening of the play sets a dramatic tone, depicting a battered ship's deck after a violent storm. A group of weary sailors discusses their hardships, revealing a sense of camaraderie and determination. They are tasked with transporting the ailing Prince Joffroy Rudel, who dreams of seeing Mélissinde, the object of his love, before he dies. The camaraderie among the sailors is tinged with desperation as they deal with their own physical suffering while simultaneously carrying the weight of Rudel's lofty ambitions. The scene beautifully captures the blend of passion and peril that ignites the characters’ journey toward love and destiny.
Victor Hugo
Le Roi s'amuse
"Le Roi s'amuse" by Victor Hugo is a French play in five acts written in 1832. It follows Triboulet, a hunchbacked court jester who serves the womanizing King Francis I while secretly protecting his innocent daughter Blanche from the corruption he witnesses daily. When vengeful courtiers abduct Blanche, believing her to be Triboulet's mistress, the jester's carefully guarded world collapses. His quest for revenge through a hired assassin leads to devastating consequences, as a nobleman's curse haunts both king and jester alike.
Gustave Flaubert
Œuvres complètes de Gustave Flaubert, tome 8 : $b Théatre : Le candidat. Le chateau des Cœurs
"Œuvres complètes de Gustave Flaubert, tome 8 : Théâtre : Le candidat" is a dramatic work written in the late 19th century. The play focuses on the character of Rousselin, who finds himself at the center of a provincial electoral contest, navigating the complexities of local politics and societal expectations. The beginning of the play sets the scene in Rousselin's garden, introducing the audience to a variety of characters, including Murel, a domestic servant, and Gruchet, who discuss Rousselin's ambitions to run for deputy. Murel expresses skepticism about Rousselin's suitability for public office while Gruchet mocks his aspirations. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that Rousselin's candidacy is not merely about politics but entangled with his family dynamics and aspirations, particularly involving his daughter Louise and the various suitors vying for her attention, including journalist Julien Duprat. The opening establishes a backdrop of social ambition, love, and the interplay of personal desires against the canvas of political aspiration.
Eugène Scribe
Bataille de dames
"Bataille de dames" by Eugène Scribe and Ernest Legouvé is a comedy written in the mid-19th century, specifically around the 1850s. This theatrical work revolves around the lives and romantic entanglements of its characters, particularly focusing on the noblewomen and men entangled in political intrigue and personal affections against a backdrop of post-Napoleonic France. The opening of "Bataille de dames" introduces us to a lavish summer salon in a château where the Countess d’Autreval and her niece Léonie de la Villegontier are engaged in animated dialogue. They discuss letters and news, revealing a tension between social expectations and personal desires. We learn that Léonie is initially annoyed by Charles, the family servant, who surprises her with his apparent intelligence and charm. This scene hints at the complicated dynamics of class and love, setting the tone for the ensuing romantic conflicts, especially as characters such as Henri, a political fugitive, and Gustave de Grignon, a young court official, become involved in their lives, ultimately culminating in personal and social challenges intertwined with the period's political tensions.
George Sand
Gabriel
"Gabriel" by George Sand is a dialogued novel published in 1839. Set in Renaissance Italy, it follows a young noble raised as a man to secure an inheritance, only to discover the truth of their biological sex. Confronted with society's hypocrisy, the protagonist rebels against the stark divide between men's privileges and women's oppression. Written in an ambiguous form between novel and theatrical play, this work explores questions of identity and gender inequality in a rigidly hierarchical world.
Victorien Sardou
La Tosca: Drame en cinq actes
"La Tosca: Drame en cinq actes" by Victorien Sardou is a five-act drama first performed in 1887. Set in Rome over eighteen hours in June 1800, the play follows celebrated opera singer Floria Tosca, her lover Mario Cavaradossi, and the ruthless Baron Scarpia in a deadly game of passion and politics. When Scarpia arrests Cavaradossi and demands Tosca submit to him in exchange for her lover's life, she makes a fateful choice that seals all their destinies.
Alphonse Daudet
L'Arlésienne : $b Pièce en trois actes et cinq tableaux
No description available.
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