United States or Mexico ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
In Le Cid, Chimene's passion for Rodrigue struggles in a death-grapple with the destiny that makes Rodrigue the slayer of her father. In Polyeucte it is the same passion struggling with the dictates of religion. In Les Horaces, patriotism, family love and personal passion are all pitted against Fate.
I should first put there Corneille of the Polyeucte, Cinna, and Horaces. I should put Moliere there, the fullest and most complete poetic genius we have ever had in France. Goethe, the king of critics, said: "Moliere is so great that he astonishes us afresh every time we read him. He is a man apart; his plays border on the tragic, and no one has the courage to try and imitate him.
But pardon me, here is Monsieur de Montauron, who has doubtless something important to communicate." "Oh, no, my lord, I would only say that the poor young man whom you deigned to consider in your service is dying of hunger." "Pshaw! at such a moment to speak of things like this! Your little Corneille will not write anything good; we have only seen 'Le Cid' and 'Les Horaces' as yet.
In the "Cid," the triumph of love was exhibited; in "Les Horaces," love was represented as punished for its rebellion against the laws of honor; in "Cinna," all more tender considerations are sacrificed to the implacable duty of avenging a father; while in "Polyeucte," duty triumphs alone.
Cinna, Les Horaces, the Cid, and Rodogune, are his masterpieces; it is they which have won for him, by the consent of all nations, the surname of "le Grand Corneille." But still it is not nature which is generally represented in his tragedies. It is an ideal nature, seven foot high, clad in impenetrable panoply, steeled against the weaknesses, as above the littlenesses of humanity.
And who has not quarrelled with Georges and Ebenezers and Horaces ad lib., and been glad to have had the chance? But this is a thing apart. This time we have set out to tell that other story which is always mentioned but never told. Maude loved us. That was the point upon which Harry and I agreed. We had her authority for it; but where we differed was, which of the two did she love the better?
There are classical comedies in verse, too, wherein the knavish valets, rakish heroes, stolid old guardians, and smart, free-spoken serving-women, discourse in Alexandrines, as loud as the Horaces or the Cid.
Wendover's chair were all Greek and Latin; and straying round the room she found Homers and Horaces, Greek playwrights and historians, repeating themselves many times, in various quaint costly editions. A scholar evidently perhaps pragmatical and priggish. Bessie's coolness about her cousin implied that he was not altogether agreeable.
But pardon me, here is Monsieur de Montauron, who has doubtless something important to communicate." "Oh, no, my lord, I would only say that the poor young man whom you deigned to consider in your service is dying of hunger." "Pshaw! at such a moment to speak of things like this! Your little Corneille will not write anything good; we have only seen 'Le Cid' and 'Les Horaces' as yet.
But pardon me, here is Monsieur de Montauron, who has doubtless something important to communicate." "Oh, no, my lord, I would only say that the poor young man whom you deigned to consider in your service is dying of hunger." "Pshaw! at such a moment to speak of things like this! Your little Corneille will not write anything good; we have only seen 'Le Cid' and 'Les Horaces' as yet.
Word Of The Day