Ancient tragedy

ancient Tragédie is a term of the literary History: it applies to the revival of the Théâtre serious at the end of the 16th century which precedes the traditional tragedy of the 17th century.

Context

Within the framework of the Humanistic step , works of Antiquity are developed and translated: in the forefront of the old authors in which one is interested one finds the tragedies Greek like Eschyle or Sophocle as well as Latin Sénèque the Young person. The esthetics of the imitation of Old, or if one wants the claim of expensive rewriting to the poets of the Pléiade, creates an emulation favorable to the blossoming of new Dramaturge S.

Other factors are added to support the réinvention of the ancient tragedy, like the desire of modernity and the catch of distance with the religious subjects inherited the Moyen-âge or the new reflection around the rules of Aristote. The end of the 16th century as sees returning little by little civil peace as the decline accompanies by the political subjects of the time of the Wars of religion.

Authors

The precursor is Etienne Jodelle which writes the first tragedy in French language and Alexandrin S, with Cléopâtre captivates in 1552 or Didon sacrificing , before knowing disgrace and misery.

Robert Garnier (1544-1590) will leave to him also works to the ancient manner: Hippolyte or Antigone (1580) and especially Jewish the (1583), from which the subject comes from the biblical Antiquity but whose esthetics is well in the spirit of Aristote. He will also invent the tragedy at happy end - the Tragicomédie - with Bradamante in 1582.

In the same current, one finds ignored the Antoine de Montchrestien (1575? - 1621) or Alexandre Hardy (1572? - 1632?), prolific author which one can quote some evocative titles of their ancient subject like Didon or Lucrèce or Jean Mairet (1604-1686). As many creators who ensure the transition with the young person Pierre Corneille (1606-1684), of which the first tragedy, Médée , date of 1635.

The philosopher's stones of the 17th century were born from nothing… and the expression “tragedy ancient”, if it is awkward and ready with confusion, nevertheless gives an account of this precursory spirit which animated one moment of the French literature.

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