kwebtransPreview
Open in TheBrain

Corneille, P

Name: Pierre Corneille

Achievements: French tragedian

Born: June 6, 1606; Rouen, France

Died: October 1, 1684; Paris, France (Aged 78)

Field & Discipline: Art: Theater; Dramatist

Language: French

Father: Pierre Corneille

Mother: Marthe le Pesant

Siblings: Thomas

Spouse: Marie de Lamperiere

Children: Seven

Education: Jesuit school, Rouen

Major Work:

"Le Cid"

"Horace"

"Cinna"

"Polyeucte"

Life & Times:

Corneille was born into a well-to-do long-established Normandy family.  After studying with the Jesuits in Rouen, he went to a Rouen law school, and in 1628 became King's counselor in the local office of the department of waterways and forests.

Corneille began writing early and during his school years won a number of prizes for his Latin verses.  By the time he was 20, he had written a romantic comedy, "Melite,”  first performed in Rouen in 1629, and a year later in Paris.  It was a huge hit and immediately became a part of the theater's repertoire.  Over the next six years, still living in Rouen, Corneille wrote six more comedies that were all performed in Paris and well received: "Clitandre,” "La Veuve,” "La Galerie du palais,” "La Suivant,” "La Place royale,” and "L'Illusion comique.”

Corneille caught the attention of [patron was] Richelieu*, the first minister in France, and was made a pensioned member of the Cardinal's club of authors.  The club was expected to write plays on themes and plots thought up by the Cardinal.  But in the writing of "La Comedie des Tuileries" in 1635, Corneille found his conscience would not let him follow the Cardinal's instructions, and he withdrew from the group, but Richelieu continued his pension anyway.

Corneille's early plays, especially "Clitandre,” adhered to the classical unities of action, time and place, a concept deriving from [influenced by] Aristotle* and made popular by Italian renaissance scholars such as [influenced by] Scaliger*.  According to the doctrine, a play should consist of a single plot, encompass only the hours between sunrise and sunset, and be set in a single place.

Corneille's most famous play, "Le Cid,” was a huge success when it opened in 1637, and is now considered to have set the norm for classical tragedy in 17th century France.  (According to this norm, tragedies were obliged to consist of a single moral issue with the climax coming at a highly dramatic moment when the leading characters recognize the moral issue and the way their fate has been affected by it.)  But the critics did not like "Le Cid" because of its variance from the "unities.”  Dramatists attacked Corneille and issued pamphlets vehemently expressing their views.  Alarmed, Richelieu called in the French Academy to decide on the matter.  Its report condemned "Le Cid" for being dramatically unfeasible and morally inferior, and Richelieu suppressed performances.

Corneille wrote nothing for the next three years, remaining in Rouen where he concentrated on his legal affairs.  But in 1640, he wrote "Horace,” another tragedy, this time conforming strictly to the classical unity rules.  "Cinna" followed a year later and "Polyecute" two years later.  These plays together with "Le Cid" are known as Corneille's "classical tetralogy,” and they represent his most important dramatic work.

In 1641, Corneille married the daughter of a local official, his younger brother, Thomas, married the sister of Corneille's wife, and the two families settled happily in Rouen.  Corneille wrote more tragedies, including "Rodogune" (1645), which was another great success, and "Theodore" (1646), which was his first flop.  His comedy, "Le Menteur (The Liar)" (1643), is the only significant French comedy written before those of  [influenced] Moliere*, who acknowledged Corneille's influence.

In 1651, Corneille's "Andromede" was given a spectacular production, making full use of the stage machinery installed by machinist and designer [a play designed by] Torelli*.  After his play "Perharite" was poorly received the same year, Corneille stopped writing for the theater and spent the next eight years writing discourses on his plays and working on a verse translation of the "Imitation of Christ" by Thomas a Kempis.

In 1659, [patron was] Fouquet*, minister of finance and an enthusiastic patron of the arts, persuaded Corneille to return to the theater.  The result was "Oedipe.”   Over the next 14 years, Corneille wrote almost one play a year and in 1660, published an edition of his collected works.  In 1662, he reluctantly moved to Paris.

By the 1670s, tastes were changing and Corneille's work began to lose its audience.  In 1670, Corneille's "Berenice" failed while a play on the same subject by the much younger [a rival was] Racine* succeeded.  Needing money, Corneille in 1671 accepted Moliere's invitation to collaborate on a play with a ballet that the King had commanded for a carnival.  The result, "Psyche,” was highly acclaimed and was transferred to the public theater.

The following year, Corneille wrote "Pulcherie," which he took to the bedside of his old friend [a pal of] La Rochefoucauld* and read it to him.  His last play was written in 1674.  In 1676, he published verses written in gratitude to the King for ordering a revival of his plays.

Extra Connections: Wrote about [wrote about] El Cid*. 

Based his “Horace” on the “Orazio” of [adapted work of] Aretino*.  

Friend of [a pal of] Boileau*

He was related to [related to] Fontenelle*

Had music written for him by [hired]  Lully*

[patron was] Mazarin* was a patron.

[material used by] Steele* used his material

[lectured on by] Taine* lectured on him at Oxford

Assessment: Skilfully dealing with dramatic conflicts in moral dilemmas, his best works triggered the development of French classical theater.

Oneliner: Pierre Corneille, great neoclassic tragedian

Bibliography:

Attachments