Unlock the more straightforward side of The Infernal Machine with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Infernal Machine by Jean Cocteau, which is a sometimes comical, often tragic play. The author revisits the Ancient myth of Oedipus, parodying some parts, including references to psychoanalysis and Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and highlighting the inescapable quality of the bitter fate awaiting the protagonists. The play was successful and has enjoyed many performances since its writing, although it is not Cocteau's most famous work. Find out everything you need to know about The Infernal Machine in a fraction of the time! This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you: • A complete plot summary • Character studies • Key themes and symbols • Questions for further reflection Why choose BrightSummaries.com? Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you in your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time. See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!

Four full-length plays by one of the greatest dramatists Europe has produced. Among the great figures who pioneered the modern movement in world literature, none showed himself more versatile than France's Jean Cocteau. Poet, novelist, critic, artist, actor, film-maker, Cocteau was also one of the greatest dramatists Europe has produced, with over a dozen plays which are frequently revived, not only in France, but in translation in many other countries. For this collection, fine translations of four full-length plays, one short play, and the “Speaker's Text" for the Cocteau-Stravinsky opera Oedipus Rex have been selected. The longer plays (The Infernal Machine, Orpheus, Bacchus, Knights of the Round Table) are re-creations of classic myth and legend—poetic and highly original interpretations of certain timeless themes which have inspired great drama through the ages. The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party is, by contrast, merely a "curtain-raiser," but remarkable as un jeu d'esprit, revealing the wit and psychological penetration for which Cocteau is famous.

Tout ce qu'il faut savoir sur La Machine infernale de Cocteau! Retrouvez l'essentiel de l'uvre dans une fiche de lecture complète et détaillée, avec un résumé, une étude des personnages, des clés de lecture et des pistes de réflexion. Rédigée de manière claire et accessible, la fiche de lecture propose d'abord un résumé acte par acte de la pièce, puis s'intéresse tout particulièrement aux personnages d'dipe et de sa mère, Jocaste. On étudie ensuite comment cette tragédie antique a été remise au gout du jour, grâce à des allusions à la psychanalyse, et le recours à la parodie, aux effets d'annonce et à l'innovation. Enfin, les pistes de réflexion, sous forme de questions, vous permettront d'aller plus loin dans votre étude. Une analyse littéraire de référence pour mieux lire et comprendre le livre!

La Machine infernale (1934) est une adaptation, très libre, de l'histoire d'Œdipe qui, selon l'oracle de Delphes, devait tuer son père et épouser sa mère. Cocteau fait subir à la tragédie de Sophocle un traitement tout à fait personnel à base de surréalisme, d'ironie et d'anachronismes volontaires. Il marie la poésie à ce draine austère de la fatalité et rénove, de manière éclatante, un mythe, avec tous les dons du virtuose.