FRENCH ROMANTICISM

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FRENCH ROMANTICISM
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The Essence of Romanticism

• Originated in the second half of the 18th century
  in Western Europe, and gained strength during the
  Industrial Revolution
• A revolt against aristocratic social and
  political norms and a reaction against the
  scientific rationalization of nature

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• The French Revolution laid the background from
  which Romanticism emerged
• It legitimized the individual imagination as a
  critical authority
• Emphasis on emotions - trepidation, horror, awe

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The Emerge of the French Romanticism

• Decline of the Drama in France
• Voltaire - stage-reforms and innovations
• Diderot - consummation of dramatic art as a
  mirror of life
• Chateaubriand and Madame de Staels writings
  altered the character of French literature

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Chateaubriand

• Champion of the restoration of the Catholic
  religion
• Revived a longing for the simple faith of the
  medieval church and the beauties of chivalry
• His works Genius of Christianity and The Martyrs
  had an enormous influence on literature

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Madame de Sta?l

• Her romances, Delphine and Corinne led
  imagination in new fields - different in spirit,
  aim and style
• De l'Allemagne opened the rising generation in
  French literature and philosophy

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Romanticism in the French Theatre

• Many special effects
• Audience size increased even more than in the
  Neoclassicism
• Seeing became more important than hearing
• Natural settings
• Scenery included drops, flats, ground rows
  carefully and realistically painted

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Alfred Louis Charles de Musset

• French dramatist, poet, and novelist
• Born on December 11, 1810 in Paris
• Received the Légion d'honneur on April 24, 1845

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Mussets Works

• La Confession dun enfant du sièclel
• Contes d'Espagne et d'Italie
• Le Spectacle dans un fauteuil
• Two-act comedy, Louison
• An incomplete tragedy, La Servante du roi
• La Nuit vénitienne
• André del Sarto Fantasio
• Lorenzaccio

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Victor-Marie Hugo

• The most influential exponent of the Romantic
  Movement in France-poet, playwright, novelist,
  essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights
  campaigner
• Born on February 26, 1802
• Forced into exile during the reign of Napoleon III

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Theatrical Work

• In 1827, he published the never-staged verse
  drama Cromwell
• Marion de Lorme- first play of Hugo's to be
  accepted for production under his own name
• 1830- Hernani
• 1832- Le roi s'amuse
• Lucrèce Borgia Written in only 14 days
• 1833- Marie Tudor
• Hugos Angelo premiered in 1835, to great success
• Ruy Blas- considered to be Hugos best drama
• Burgraves was his last work written for the
  theatre