French Classical Literature
French literature of the seventeenth century, especially works shaped by formal discipline, classical models, and ideals of order and decorum.
The Cid: A tragedy by Pierre Corneille, first performed in 1637, about love, honor, and duty in medieval Spain. Its dispute over whether it obeyed dramatic rules made it an early test of French classical taste.
French Academy: A French learned society founded in 1635 to regulate and cultivate the French language. Its language project helped establish standards of correctness associated with classical writing.
Pierre Corneille: A French dramatist whose tragedies include The Cid, Horace, and Cinna. His heroic protagonists and contested dramatic choices helped define the period's tragic possibilities.
Louis XIV: King of France from 1643 to 1715, whose reign centralized royal power and cultivated court culture. His court at Versailles concentrated patronage and made royal taste a public cultural force.
Précieuses: Seventeenth-century French women associated with literary salons and refined social and linguistic practices. Their cultivated speech and salon culture complicate simple accounts of literary refinement as a single doctrine.
Phaedra: A tragedy by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677, depicting Phaedra's forbidden passion for her stepson Hippolytus. Its concentrated action and restrained language exemplify Racine's classical tragedy.
Aristotelianism: A philosophical tradition based on the writings and teachings of Aristotle. Aristotle's account of poetry informed debates about dramatic structure and imitation.
Jean Racine: A French dramatist best known for tragedies including Andromaque, Phèdre, and Athalie. His tightly structured tragedies became a major model of classical dramatic style.
Cardinal Richelieu: A French statesman and cardinal who served as chief minister to Louis XIII. His support for the French Academy connected literary standards with state-sponsored institutions.
Preciosity: An elaborate literary style marked by ingenious metaphors, verbal refinement, and delicate expression. Its conspicuous artifice contrasts with ideals of clarity and measured expression.