The Molière Encyclopedia

The Molière Encyclopedia
Title The Molière Encyclopedia PDF eBook
Author James F. Gaines
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Pages 549
Release 2002-11-30
Genre Literary Criticism
ISBN 031307657X

Download The Molière Encyclopedia Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin in 1622, the French playwright Moli^D`ere became one of the most influential dramatists of the 17th century. His comedies shaped the development of theater in Europe, inspired his contemporaries in England, and left a lasting dramatic legacy after his death in 1673. Moli^D`re has also inspired a vast body of scholarship, and recent work has dispelled many of the myths surrounding his career. This reference provides English-speaking readers with a current and comprehensive guide to his life and works. Hundreds of A-Z entries cover topics related to his life, works, and theatrical career, including: Plays; Individual characters; Historical persons; Allusions; Influences; Cultural institutions; And much more. This scrupulously researched volume relies on verifiable facts, giving scant attention to the romantic fiction surrounding the playwright. Many of the entries list works for further reading. A chronology outlines the chief events of Moli^D`re's life and his contributions to the stage. The volume concludes with a bibliography.

The Cambridge Companion to Moliere

The Cambridge Companion to Moliere
Title The Cambridge Companion to Moliere PDF eBook
Author David Bradby
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Pages 11
Release 2006-09-14
Genre Drama
ISBN 1139827294

Download The Cambridge Companion to Moliere Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A detailed introduction to Molière and his plays, this Companion evokes his own theatrical career, his theatres, patrons, the performers and theatre staff with whom he worked, and the various publics he and his troupes entertained with such success. It looks at his particular brands of comedy and satire. L'École des femmes, Le Tartuffe, Dom Juan, Le Misanthrope, L'Avare and Les Femmes savantes are examined from a variety of different viewpoints, and through the eyes of different ages and cultures. The comedies-ballets, a genre invented by Molière and his collaborators, are re-instated to the central position which they held in his œuvre in Molière's own lifetime; his two masterpieces in this genre, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme and Le Malade imaginaire, have chapters to themselves. Finally, the Companion looks at modern directors' theatre, exploring the central role played by productions of his work in successive 'revolutions' in the dramatic arts in France.

The Plays of Molière in French

The Plays of Molière in French
Title The Plays of Molière in French PDF eBook
Author Molière
Publisher
Pages 360
Release 1907
Genre French drama
ISBN

Download The Plays of Molière in French Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

The Blunderer

The Blunderer
Title The Blunderer PDF eBook
Author Molière
Publisher Good Press
Pages 83
Release 2019-12-05
Genre Drama
ISBN

Download The Blunderer Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

"The Blunderer" by Molière is a hilarious and intricate comedy filled with mistaken identities and clever schemes. Lelio and Leander, two young aristocrats, both vie for the love of Celia, a gypsy girl enslaved by the miserly Trufaldin. Lelio's quick-witted servant, Mascarille, devises various plans to help his master win Celia's heart, but Lelio's unintentional interference constantly thwarts their efforts. As the story unfolds, outrageous misunderstandings ensue, involving fake deaths, hidden identities, and romantic entanglements. With witty dialogue and comical situations, "The Blunderer" offers a delightful exploration of love, deception, and the unpredictability of human nature.

Candide

Candide
Title Candide PDF eBook
Author By Voltaire
Publisher BookRix
Pages 169
Release 2019-06-10
Genre Fiction
ISBN 3736801785

Download Candide Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Candide is a French satire by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. It begins with a young man, Candide, who is living a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with Leibnizian optimism (or simply Optimism) by his mentor, Pangloss. The work describes the abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide's slow, painful disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in the world. Voltaire concludes with Candide, if not rejecting optimism outright, advocating a deeply practical precept, "we must cultivate our garden", in lieu of the Leibnizian mantra of Pangloss, "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds". Candide is characterized by its sarcastic tone, as well as by its erratic, fantastical and fast-moving plot. A picaresque novel it parodies many adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are caricatured in a tone that is mordantly matter-of-fact. Still, the events discussed are often based on historical happenings, such as the Seven Years' War and the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. As philosophers of Voltaire's day contended with the problem of evil, so too does Candide in this short novel, albeit more directly and humorously. Voltaire ridicules religion, theologians, governments, armies, philosophies, and philosophers through allegory; most conspicuously, he assaults Leibniz and his optimism. As expected by Voltaire, Candide has enjoyed both great success and great scandal. Immediately after its secretive publication, the book was widely banned because it contained religious blasphemy, political sedition and intellectual hostility hidden under a thin veil of naïveté. However, with its sharp wit and insightful portrayal of the human condition, the novel has since inspired many later authors and artists to mimic and adapt it. Today, Candide is recognized as Voltaire's magnum opus and is often listed as part of the Western canon; it is arguably taught more than any other work of French literature. It was listed as one of The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written.

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great
Title Alexander the Great PDF eBook
Author Jean Racine
Publisher Digireads.Com
Pages 42
Release 2013-01-01
Genre Drama
ISBN 9781420948868

Download Alexander the Great Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

The 17th century dramatist Jean Racine was considered, along with Moliere and Corneille, as one of the three great playwrights of his era. The quality of Racine's poetry has been described as possibly his most important contribution to French literature and his use of the alexandrine poetic line is one of the best examples of such use noted for its harmony, simplicity and elegance. While critics over the centuries have debated the worth of Jean Racine, at present, he is widely considered a literary genius of revolutionary proportions. In this volume of Racine's plays we find "Alexander the Great," the second of twelve plays by the author. As you would expect the drama concerns its titular character and his love for the Indian princess Cleofile. Based largely on the histories of Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus, Alexander finds his pursuit of love of the Indian princess complicated by intrigues between her brother Taxilus and his ally Porus.

The World-wide Encyclopedia and Gazetteer

The World-wide Encyclopedia and Gazetteer
Title The World-wide Encyclopedia and Gazetteer PDF eBook
Author
Publisher
Pages 876
Release 1908
Genre Encyclopedias and dictionaries
ISBN

Download The World-wide Encyclopedia and Gazetteer Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle