In tracing the course of French comedy from the Renaissance,
through the age of Louis XIV and the eighteenth century, to the eve
of the Revolution, originally published in 1977, Geoffrey Brereton
shows how it evolved from the crude farces and experimental plays
of the sixteenth century to become a rich and highly sophisticated
dramatic genre. The main emphasis is on the work of the principal
dramatists, notably Moliere (whose plays and career are given a
detailed and enlightening treatment), Corneille, Scarron, Marivaux
and Beaumarchais, with some space devoted to the more neglected
writers, such as the 'cynical generation' of Dancourt, Regnard,
Lesage and others; and all the plays are seen in the context of the
theatrical conventions that helped to shape them. Different types
of comedy are analysed, including comedy of character and of
manners, as well as the romantic, burlesque and bourgeois forms and
the development of the opera-comique. At the same time Dr Brereton
examines the influences on French comedy - influences as varied as
those of the farce, the Italian commedia dell'arte, the Spanish
comedia and the eighteenth century drame - and the way in which
these were absorbed and exploited by French comic dramatists. Since
comedy, more than any other kind of drama, reflects the
contemporary social scene, attention is drawn to social conditions
and attitudes, and some of the more striking parallels with modern
social preoccupations are pointed out. Written in a very lively and
readable style, and containing much stimulating and original
comment, as well as providing the basic facts, it gives a
considerable insight into the nature of French comedy during its
most formative and fruitful period. A substantial bibliography and
other reference material increase the usefulness of this book to
the student of French drama.
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