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Ever feel like life has too many rules? Imagine being a playwright in 17th century France! The French Neoclassical movement was all about order, structure, and sticking to the rules – especially in theater. But as you'll see, even the strictest rules couldn't contain the passion and drama that unfolded on the French stage.
The Neoclassical Playbook: Five Rules to Write By
Picture this: France, finally enjoying some peace and quiet after years of turmoil. Enter the French Academy, armed with a mission to bring order to the arts, including theater. They looked back to ancient Greek and Roman plays and came up with a set of five essential rules for French playwrights:
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Verisimilitude (Keep it Real): No more fantastical creatures or supernatural interventions. Plays had to depict believable situations and characters that resonated with the audience. And forget about characters breaking the fourth wall – soliloquies were out!
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Decorum (Mind Your Manners): Plays should teach moral lessons and uphold French values. Good characters were rewarded, bad characters got their just desserts, and onstage violence was a big no-no.
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No Genre Bending: Comedies should be funny, tragedies should be tragic, and never the twain shall meet. This meant no comic relief in serious plays or somber moments in comedies.
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Unities (Time, Place, Action): Plays had to adhere to the unities of time, place, and action. This meant a single plotline, unfolding in one location, within a 24-hour period. Talk about a pressure cooker!
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Five Acts, No More, No Less: Why five acts? Because that's how the ancient Roman playwright Seneca did it, and who were the French to argue?
Racine: The Master of Emotional Intensity
Jean Racine, a playwright who embraced these rules with open arms, became a star of French Neoclassicism. His plays, written in elegant verse, focused on the inner turmoil of his characters, often strong, passionate women trapped by fate and their own desires.
Take his masterpiece, Phèdre. This tragic tale of forbidden love and devastating consequences unfolds with a simplicity that highlights the raw emotions of the characters. Phaedra's agonizing struggle with her love for her stepson, Hippolytus, is laid bare in powerful monologues that leave audiences breathless.
Corneille: Bending the Rules, Sparking Outrage
Then there was Pierre Corneille, a playwright who wasn't afraid to shake things up. While aware of the rules, he wasn't afraid to bend them, sometimes to the point of breaking.
His most famous work, Le Cid, became a sensation – and a scandal. This tragicomedy, packed with duels, forbidden love, and a Moorish invasion, had audiences on the edge of their seats. But critics were horrified. Corneille had dared to break the unities, mix genres, and even suggest that a woman could find happiness with the man who killed her father!
The controversy surrounding Le Cid reached fever pitch, forcing the French Academy to intervene. They acknowledged the play's popularity but condemned its disregard for the rules. Corneille, however, defended his work, arguing that he had achieved the true goal of drama – to move the audience.
The Legacy of French Neoclassicism
Despite the controversies, French Neoclassicism dominated the theatrical landscape for over a century. It established France as a cultural powerhouse and influenced playwrights across Europe. While its strict rules might seem limiting today, there's no denying the power and beauty of the plays it produced.
So next time you're looking for a play that combines emotional intensity with elegant language and a touch of rule-breaking drama, look no further than the works of Racine and Corneille. You might just find yourself swept away by the world of French Neoclassicism.
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