Controversy in French Drama: Molière’s Tartuffe and the Struggle for Influence - Softcover

Prest, J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1349465941 ISBN 13: 9781349465941

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015

Synopsis

In 1664, Molière's Tartuffe was banned from public performance. This book provides a detailed, in-depth account of five-year struggle (1664-69) to have the ban lifted and, so doing, sheds important new light on 1660s France and the ancien régime more broadly.

About this title

About the Author:

Julia Prest is Senior Lecturer in the Department of French at the University of St Andrews, UK.

Review:

"Elegantly written, thoroughly engaging, and highly accessible to non-specialists, Controversy in French Drama systematically uncovers the power of Molière's Tartuffe to scandalize and delight audiences, not only in its original historic context (so masterfully drawn here), but also through the centuries to today. It is essential reading for all those interested in Molière and French classical theatre and culture." - Larry F. Norman, Professor of French and Theatre and Performance, University of Chicago, USA, and author of Molière and the Social Commerce of Depiction and The Shock of the Ancient: Literature and History in Early Modern France
"Julia Prest presents a precisely detailed and subtly argued examination of the religious and political context of the 'querelle de Tartuffe'. Carefully considering the contemporary meaning of 'zealotry' and 'hypocrisy', she gives a fascinating account of the power-play between the young King and his religious advisors, together with rare insights into the secret workings of the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement, thereby casting new light on the controversy surrounding this most popular of works." - Jan Clarke, Professor of French, Durham University, UK

"In a crystal-clear and vivid style, Julia Prest sheds new light on Molière's Tartuffe controversy (1664-1669). Re-reading Tartuffe alongside Bossuet's sermons and Louis XIV's memoirs, she enlightens the ferocious struggle that opposed religious and lay conceptions of the State in France and brilliantly re-examines the famous debate on hypocrisy. A highly stimulating historical and political evaluation of Molière's masterwork." - Gilles Declercq, Professor and Director of the Drama Research Center, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, France

About this edition

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1349465941
• ISBN 13: 9781349465941
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 258