Pierre Corneille Criticism
Pierre Corneille's dramatic works have been a focal point of literary criticism, reflecting a blend of innovative storytelling and profound character exploration. Although his later career saw a decline in popularity due to the rise of Jean Racine, who adhered more strictly to neoclassical principles, Corneille's unique style remains influential. His brilliant versification and intricate characterizations are key points of analysis in the scholarship of critics like P. J. Yarrow and Sharon Harwood-Gordon. Though eclipsed during his own time, his contribution to French drama was later reassessed, with nineteenth-century critics like C. Sainte-Beuve and Lee Davis Lodge reaffirming his significance.
Despite setbacks in popularity, Corneille's later works such as Horace, Polyeucte, and Suréna demonstrated his enduring ability to explore complex themes, including the tension between love and patriotic duty. His influence persisted in expanding the scope of tragedy, as evidenced by Ian McFarlane's analysis of his language and characterization in comedies like The Widow. Furthermore, Harriet Stone delves into thematic continuities across his major tragedies, and H.T. Barnwell examines the structuring of dramatic episodes and their relation to speech.
Corneille's innovative approach to drama is further highlighted by Claire Carlin, who notes his unique representation of women, and Mitchell Greenberg, who examines the thematic depths of plays like Médée. Although his reputation has fluctuated over time, Corneille is now recognized as one of France's most esteemed dramatists. His lasting contributions to the theatrical tradition and the enduring relevance of his themes and characters ensure his place in the pantheon of great French literature.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Corneille, Pierre (Drama Criticism)
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Criticism: General Commentary
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The Variants of Corneille's Early Plays
(summary)
In the following essay, Mallinson examines Corneille's attitude toward his early comedies.
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Transformal Closures in Le Cid, Horace, Cinna, and Polyeucte
(summary)
In the following essay, Stone scrutinizes the stylistic and thematic similarities of The Cid, Horace, Cinna, and Polyeucte.
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Corneille's Early Comedies: Variations in Comic Form
(summary)
In the following essay, Knutsen views Corneille's early plays as “a series of variations in comic form.”
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‘They Have Their Exits and Their Entrances’: Stage and Speech in Corneille's Drama
(summary)
In the following essay, Barnwell considers some of the ways in which Corneille orders and constructs the successive episodes of his plays and some of the connexions between that arrangement and speech.
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The Woman as Heavy: Female Villains in the Theater of Pierre Corneille
(summary)
In the following essay, Carlin discusses the innovative role of women in Corneille's comedies.
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Two Crowned Feminist
(summary)
In the following essay, Hubert discusses the defining characteristics of Titus and Bernice and Pulcheria.
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Visual Effects and the Theatrical Illusion in Pierre Corneille's Early Plays
(summary)
In the following essay, Goulbourne explores the visual aspects of Corneille's early plays.
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The Variants of Corneille's Early Plays
(summary)
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Corneille's Clitandre and the Theatrical Illusion
(summary)
In the following essay, Hawcroft asserts that it is possible to view Clitandre as “an attempt to engage metaphorically with the theoretical debates around 1630, dominated as they were by the twenty-four hour rule and the concept of theatrical illusion.”
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A Reading of La Veuve.
(summary)
In the following essay, McFarlane explores stylistic aspects of The Widow, particularly Corneille's use of language, action, and characterization.
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Usurpation and Heroic Lies: A Baroque Dilemma in La Suivante
(summary)
In the following essay, Gaines contends that the usurpation of social rank plays a prominent role in The Maidservant.
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Mythifying Matrix: Corneille's Médée and the Birth of Tragedy
(summary)
In the following essay, Greenberg offers a thematic and stylistic analysis of Médée.
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Payer or Récompenser: Royal Gratitude in Le Cid.
(summary)
In the following essay, Harrison addresses the issue of royal gratitude as portrayed in The Cid.
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Blood and Water in Horace: A Feminist Reading
(summary)
In the following essay, Tiefenbrun investigates the function of the blood and water motif in Horace.
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A Theatrical Reading of Cinna
(summary)
In the following essay, Hubert provides a metadramatic interpretation of Cinna.
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Polyeucte: A Flawed Masterpiece
(summary)
In the following essay, Cairncross underscores the flaws in Polyeucte and traces the critical reaction to the play throughout the years.
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Comedy and Parody in Le Menteur.
(summary)
In the following essay, Hopkins elucidates the elements of classical tragedy which are parodied in The Liar.
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Visual Imagery and Christian Humanism in Rodogune
(summary)
In the following essay, Reed considers Corneille's emphasis on visual imagery and Christian theology in Rodogune.
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Is Corneille's Œdipe Œdipal?
(summary)
In the following essay, Allentuch regards Oedipus as representative of Corneille's subconscious dramatic concerns.
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Corneille in 1663: The Tragedy of Sophonisbe
(summary)
In the following essay, Barnwell provides an interpretation of Sophonisba in light of Saint-Evremond's critical comments on Corneille and his play.
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The Function of Vinius in Othon
(summary)
In the following essay, Gunter investigates the character of Vinius in Otho, maintaining that he can be viewed “as a mock hero whose main function is to serve as a dramatic and psychological foil for Othon.”
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Criticism: General Commentary
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Corneille, Pierre (Literary Criticism (1400-1800))
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To an Author Who Asked My Opinion of a Play Where the Heroine Does Nothing But Lament Herself
(summary)
In the following excerpt from an essay originally written in approximately 1672, Saint-Evremond decries Corneille's descent from the effective illumination of character to lachrymose sentimentality.
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Corneille
(summary)
In the following excerpt from an essay originally published in 1855, he provides a capsule overview of Corneille's career and discusses his dramatic style, influences, and characterizations, among other concerns.
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Final Estimate of Corneille: Fall of Classicism and Rise of Romanticism, Latest Developments
(summary)
In the following excerpt from the major nineteenth-century treatment of Corneille in English, Lodge determines and assesses Corneille's contribution to French drama.
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The Great and Good Corneille
(summary)
In the following essay, originally published in 1938 in Scrutiny, he presents a broad overview of the principal themes, characters, and verse style of Corneille's dramas, comparing them to their counterparts in the works of Racine.
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Second Cycle: Corneille, the Sexuality of Le Cid
(summary)
In the following excerpt from an essay originally published in 1948, he examines Le Cid as a drama emblematic of Corneille's conception of tragedy as the domain of spirituality, reflecting the triumph of divine grace.
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Racine and the Tragedy of Sentiment
(summary)
In the following excerpt from his World Drama, Nicoll places Corneille's work in the context of French literary history.
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The Realism of Corneille (1) Characters
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Yarrow provides a close study of Corneille's characterization.
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The Comic Illusion
(summary)
In the excerpt below from his book-length study of Corneille and his plays, Abraham surveys the dramatist's early comedies, from Mélite to L'Illusion comique.
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'Suréna'
(summary)
In the following essay, Pocock examines Corneille's Suréna, a drama loved by those who value formal perfection.
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An introduction to The Cid, Cinna, The Theatrical Illusion
(summary)
In the following essay, he surveys the principal attributes of Cornelian drama, particularly its themes, characterization, and preoccupations.
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The Poetic Style of Corneille's Tragedies: An Aesthetic Interpretation
(summary)
In the essay below, Harwood-Gordon examines Corneille's poetic style.
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To an Author Who Asked My Opinion of a Play Where the Heroine Does Nothing But Lament Herself
(summary)
- Further Reading