the Island of the slaves is a Comédie in a act (11 Scène S) and in Prose of Marivaux represented for the first time Monday March 5th 1725, with the Hôtel of Burgundy by the Italian Comédiens.

The mixture of the kinds is found on all the plans: the Greek characters, the shipwreck as well as the character of Euphrosine tend towards a tragedy. But the part is well a comedy: confusion of the feelings, exchanges of being able between Masters and servants, finally the resolutely comic aspect of the character of Arlequin. Moreover, the part finishes on a resumption of the capacity by the Masters and the return to the statute of slave of Cléanthis and Harlequin; this return to the initial situation is clean comedy.

Characters

• Iphicrate , general Athenian.
• Harlequin , his slave.
• Euphrosine , Athenian lady.
• Cléanthis , its slave.
• Trivelin , magistrate of the island.
• Inhabitants of the island .

Typology

One on the whole counts five characters in this part, three have Greek names and the two others result from the Commedia dell' arte.

Harlequin

Arlequin is a famous character of the Commedia dell' arte. It is a lazy, naive and familiar buffoon. One often represents it in his coloured coat and a bottle with the hand. These attributes announce to the public that one should not take account of his words. He is the slave of Iphicrate here and will become Master as well as Cléanthis. He will benefit from his statute of Master, but will show himself not very rancorous towards his former Master. True free electron of the theater, for which nothing carries to consequence, will turn over quickly to its statute of slave.

Iphicrat

Iphicrate wants to say, in Greek, that which controls by the force , which returns to an social order. Its social fall is characterized by the loss of its sword and its clothes of Master. Sad, moved a little, retaining its anger, with despair, it evolves to a frank anger (armed continuation) ➢ comico-dramatic confrontation.

Cléanthis

Cléanthis is the slave of Euphrosine before becoming its mistress following the inversion of being able initiated by Trivelin. She will prove much more rancorous than Arlequin towards her former mistress and appeases a thirst for revenge so much and so that Trivelin must moderate it. She will not return her statute of Master of full sound liking. Undoubtedly it had understood that to become again slave would not bring anything good to him…

Euphrosine

Euphrosine is the mistress of Cléanthis. She seems an vain woman. She contradicts the dires of Cléanthis about it and does not wish to acknowledge to in no case its defects with Trivelin.

Trivelin

Trivelin (in third) orchestra transfer of power. Former slave, it tells that on his arrival on the island, it removed the Masters, but that it was by a desire of revenge and not of equality. It thus set up the system of transfer of power. It rather seems to be as regards Master: he is governor of the island and proclamation much of care with regard to the Masters. During all the test of transfer of power, it will continue to treat the Masters like such.

History

Iphicrat and his servant Harlequin having made shipwreck, they unload on a founded island, a hundred years ago, by revolted slaves. In this island, the Masters become servants and the servants of the Masters. Thus, Iphicrate and its lackey Harlequin, Euphrosine and its Cléanthis maidservant exchange their condition, their clothing and also their names.

Each one sees constrained, as of its arrival, to observe of it the law, whose Trivelin, former slave and governor of the island, is the guaranteeing one. Inter alia humiliations that the former Masters have to undergo, for their good besides, they must be intended to say their truths by their servants. Trivelin requires of the Cléanthis maidservant to trace the portrait of its mistress Euphrosine and he promises to shorten this test if Euphrosine recognizes the truth of this portrait.

Cléanthis and Arlequin take much retreat compared to their new statute and miment a fashionable scene of seduction. Harlequin undertakes the conquest of Euphrosine, but it is moved by the suffering which its new statute causes him.

Finally, Arlequin forgives with his Master and takes again his dress of servant; Cléanthis imitates its example. Full with gratitude and remorse, Iphicrate and Euphrosine embrace them with emotion. It is this reconciliation which Trivelin wished, which draws morals from the comedy while saying to the servants: “We would have punished your revenges as we punished their hardnesses” and with the Masters: “You were their Masters, and you badly acted; they became yours and they forgive you; made your reflections on top. The difference of the conditions is only one test which the gods make on us. ”

Random links:

George Adams | With the continuation of green diamond | Operation Midnight Climax | Turn of radiotelevision of Tachkent | Jean V of Pontevès