Completion of French 102 or its equivalent required for enrollment. This class is taught entirely in French.

In France, theater as we know it only began to take shape at the beginning of the 17th century. This class investigates the emergence of French classical theater under Louis XIII and Louis XIV by studying how its performances interacted with monarchical power. The King and his ministers both attempted to develop public playhouses and police the stage, displaying simultaneously distrust for the theater and a desire to use it to political ends. In doing so, the King and his entourage were also attempting to keep the Catholic Church at bay, while modeling civil society in ways they hoped could serve the Crown. As we read plays by three of the most famous French classical playwrights (Corneille, Molière and Racine), we work to understand how the ethical and aesthetical canons of French classical tragedy and comedy (such as verisimilitude, and bienséances) were established, in constant negotiation with conflicting political, spiritual and societal demands. We will also examine how kings and their counselors were represented on the French stage, and to what extent it was possible to reflect critically on the limitations of monarchical power in a genre that so depended on the King’s support. This class invites students to read some of the most famous plays of the Occidental tradition in a specific historical context, that of the rise of French absolutism. It will also allow them to reflect on the origins of modern drama more generally. Videos of modern and contemporary performances (including productions by the Comédie Française and archival footage from l’Institut National de l’Audiovisuel) will be used wherever possible to support the students’ analysis of the plays studied, and document their continued relevance in French culture. All work is done in French.