Pierre Corneille

The Cid (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Le Cid is a five-act French tragicomedy written by Pierre Corneille, first performed in December 1636 at the Théâtre du Marais in Paris and published the same year. It is based on Guillén de Castro's play Las Mocedades del Cid. Castro's play in turn is based on the legend of El Cid.
Le Cid is widely regarded as Corneille's finest work, and is considered one of the greatest plays of the seventeenth century.
Background
The stories of the Cid are based on the life of the Spanish warrior Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, who lived approximately from 1043 until 1099. The real "Cid" seems to have fought for both Muslims and Christians at different times and appears to have been a sellsword figure. In the play, however, he is lauded solely as a Christian soldier.[2] The name "El Cid" was derived from the Arabic word for lord ("sayyid") and made Spanish, and further given a French article for Corneille's version. To this day, the Cid remains a popular Spanish folklore character, who has inspired many stories and works of art...

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Raanan Editeur
• Erscheinungstermin: 28. April 2020
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9782714905062
• Artikelnr.: 59352054

Autorenporträt

Pierre Corneille, often hailed as one of France's greatest playwrights, was born on June 6, 1606, in Rouen, Normandy. Corneille's oeuvre is vast and influential, with a career that spanned the tumultuous seventeenth century, a period rich in literary and social change. Educated as a lawyer, Corneille quickly turned to playwriting as his true calling. His initial works garnered attention, but it was 'Le Cid' (1637), a tragicomedy based on the legend of the Spanish hero El Cid, that cemented his reputation and sparked heated literary debates on the nature of drama. The play's blend of honor, love, and conflict embodies the classical ideals that would characterize much of Corneille's later work. Known for his mastery of the French classical style, Corneille crafted plays that balanced strict adherence to the unities of time, place, and action with profound psychological insights into his characters. His works often revolve around themes of duty, love, and heroism, pushing the boundaries of dramatic form and creating a template for the classical tragedy. Besides 'The Cid', his notable plays include 'Horace' (1640), 'Cinna' (1641), and 'Polyeucte' (1643). Corneille's influence on French literature is immeasurable, impacting contemporaries such as Molière and Racine and leaving a legacy that resonates through the Western literary tradition. He died on October 1, 1684, in Paris, leaving behind a body of work that continues to be celebrated for its elegance, intellectual depth, and dramatic power.