The formation of the literary canon of the French drama of the XVI century

Abstract

This article reviews gradual development of the literary canon of French theater of the Renaissance Era, which in many ways predetermined the emergence and further evolution of classicistic dramaturgy. The subject of this research is the principles of dramaturgical art formulated by the poets and theoreticians of the XVI century within the framework of poetic texts and treatises. The goal consists in description of the stages in establishment of the theatrical canon in France of the Renaissance Era, juxtapose its principles to the medieval theater, determine to which stage is attributed the emergence of representations on the classical theater, and highlight the factors that influenced its development. The novelty of this research lies in the attempt of comprehensive analysis of the poetic texts and treatises that allow reconstructing the processes unfolded in the XVI century in French theater, as well as comparing them to medieval tradition, as well as to gradually forming classicism. The relevance is substantiated by the need that occurred in literary studies to understand the formation of classical principles of French dramaturgy based on the materials of poetic works of the Renaissance Era. The author delineates three staged in the process of formation of the canon of French theatre of the Renaissance Era. The first is associated with the publication of Joachim du Bellay's manifesto, which indicates the “gap” in French literature in the area of drama and appeals to fill it. For realization of the second stage, pivotal becomes the figure of Étienne Jodelle, the author of tragedy “Cléopâtre Captive”, which epitomized an attempt to revive of antique tragedy, and comedy “Eugène”.. So in France of the XVI century. This led to the emergence of French national theatrical tradition that can be considered a literary canon. The third stage of its formation became the recognition of Jodelle's achievements in the theory of poetry. In 1555, Jacques Peletier in “Art Poétique” cited both compositions as the examples of tragedy and comedy, which contributed to consolidation of the canon.