Controversy in French Drama: Molière’s Tartuffe and the Struggle for Influence

252 Pages·2014·0.902 MB·English

by  Julia Prest (auth.)

Controversy in French Drama
Also by Julia Prest
Monograph
Theatre under Louis XIV: Cross-C asting and the Performance of Gen-
der in Drama, Ballet and Opera, 2013
Theatre under Louis XIV: Cross-C asting and the Performance of Gen-
der in Drama, Ballet and Opera, 2006
Critical Editions
“La Devineresse ou les faux enchantemens” de Thomas Corneille et Jean
Donneau de Visé, ed. Julia Prest, 2007
Molière: “Le Mariage forcé,” ed. Julia Prest, Textes Littéraires, 1999
Edited Volume
Corporeal Practices: (Re)figuring the Body in French Studies, ed. Julia
Prest and Hannah Thompson, 2000
Controversy in French Drama
Molière’s Tartuffe and the
Struggle for Influence
Julia Prest
CONTROVERSY IN FRENCH DRAMA: MOLIÈRE’S TARTUFFE AND THE STRUGGLE
FOR INFLUENCE
Copyright © Julia Prest 2014.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-1-137-34399-4
All rights reserved.
First published in 2014 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN® in the
United States—a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth
Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of
the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan
Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998,
of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above
companies and has companies and representatives throughout the
world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United
States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-349-46594-1 ISBN 978-1-137-34400-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9781137344007
Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data is available from
the Library of Congress.
A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library.
Design by Scribe Inc.
First edition: January 2014
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Roy
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
A Note on Translations xi
Introduction 1
1 The Struggle for Influence:
I. The Stakes and Their Protagonists 7
2 What Is a Faux Dévot? I. The Hypocrite 35
3 What Is a Faux Dévot? II. The Zealot 75
4 What Is a Vrai Dévot and Is He a
Véritable Homme de Bien? 107
5 The Struggle for Influence:
II. Tartuffe in an Age of Absolutism 137
Conclusion 191
Notes 199
Bibliography 229
Index 241
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Acknowledgments
This book has been a long time in the making, and numerous people
have helped it along its way. These include my colleagues and friends
at Yale University, where the project was begun, and those at the Uni-
versity of St Andrews, where it was completed: my heartfelt thanks to
all of you. I am especially grateful to Roy Dilley and Nick Hammond,
who read and commented on a draft of the manuscript from their
respective and complementary perspectives; to Sarah Townshend,
who ably checked numerous references, proofread the manuscript,
and found the fabulous image that appears on the cover; to Angela
Konrad of Trinity Western University, who tracked down and made
available a high-q uality version of that image; to Dana Kostroun,
who helped me get to grips with Jansenism and who read and com-
mented on Chapter 5; to Russell Goulbourne, who is always ready to
respond to any query, however obscure, that I can throw at him; and
to Dave Evans and Sam Bootle, who scrutinized and improved upon
my translations. Finally, I would like to thank Erica Buchman and
Robyn Curtis of Palgrave for their patience, good humor, and support
throughout the process.