← Explore on the interactive map
French Classicist Theatre (1670s)
The 1670s marked the peak and turning point of French classicist theatre, with Molière, Racine, and Corneille shaping European dramatic norms through…
Timeline
- 1670–1673Paris · ParisCorneille, Racine, and Molière each represented peaks of tragedy and comedy: Racine's Bérénice (1670), Corneille's Les Ptolémées (1672), and Molière's Le Malade imaginaire (1673) appeared in succession, forming the most brilliant constellation in the history of French theatre.
- 1673–1674Paris · ParisAfter Molière's death in February 1673, his troupe was taken under royal management and comic writing entered a period of adjustment; Racine's Iphigénie (1674) was a great success at Versailles, and tragedy became the dominant court genre.
- 1677–1679Paris / Versailles · Île-de-FranceThe premiere of Phèdre marked the maturity of Racine's psychological tragedy; meanwhile, competition among Parisian theatres and the critical theory of the Académie Française interacted, making the three unities and elegant language the outward standard of French drama.
Sources
- A History of French Literature — Alan Charles Kors (2019)
- The Classical Moment: Studies of Corneille, Molière, and Racine — Martin Turnell (1952)