FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160  
161   162   163   164   165   166   >>  
aracter. It can even go as far as weeping the traditional six tears, as Madame de Sevigne did for Andromaque. Tears at the theatre are all the sweeter, because they are all in vain. When, in a play, we have a congenial character who is there from the beginning to the end, the play is a success. Let us take _Cyraino de Bergerac_, for instance, which is one of the greatest successes in the history of the theatre. Francois le Champi is eminently a congenial character, for he is a man who always sets wrong things right. We are such believers in justice and in the interference of Providence. When good, straightforward people are persecuted by fate, we always expect to see a man appear upon the scene who will be the champion of innocence, who will put evil-doers to rights, and find the proper thing to do and say in every circumstance. Francois appears at the house of Madeleine Blanchet, who is a widow and very sad and ill. He takes her part and defends her from the results of La Severe's intrigues. He is hard on the latter, and he disdains another woman, Mariette, but both La Severe and Mariette love him, so true is it that women have a weakness for conquerors. Francois only cares for Madeleine, though. On the stage, we like a man to be adored by all women, as this seems to us a guarantee that he will only care for one of them. "Champi" is a word peculiar to a certain district, meaning "natural son." Dumas _fils_ wrote a play entitled _Le Fils naturel_. The hero is also a superior man, who plays the part of Providence to the family which has refused to recognize him. In _Claudie_, as in _Francois le Champi_, the rural setting is one of the great charms of the play. The first act is one of the most picturesque scenes on the stage. It takes place in a farmyard, the day when the reapers have finished their task, which is just as awe-inspiring as that of the sowers. A cart, drawn by oxen, enters the yard, bringing a sheaf all adorned with ribbons and flowers. The oldest of the labourers, Pere Remy, addresses a fine couplet to the sheaf of corn which has cost so much labour, but which is destined to keep life in them all. Claudie is one of those young peasant girls, whom we met with in the novel entitled _Jeanne_. She had been unfortunate, but Jeanne, although virtuous and pure herself, did not despise her, for in the country there is great latitude in certain matters. This is just the plain story, but on the stage everyth
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160  
161   162   163   164   165   166   >>  



Top keywords:

Francois

 

Champi

 

Severe

 

Madeleine

 

Mariette

 

Claudie

 

Providence

 

theatre

 
entitled
 

congenial


Jeanne

 

character

 

natural

 

meaning

 

scenes

 

picturesque

 

farmyard

 
district
 

naturel

 

refused


recognize
 

superior

 

family

 

reapers

 

charms

 

setting

 

oldest

 

unfortunate

 

peasant

 

virtuous


matters

 

everyth

 

latitude

 
country
 

despise

 
destined
 

enters

 

bringing

 

inspiring

 

sowers


adorned

 
ribbons
 
couplet
 
labour
 

addresses

 

flowers

 
labourers
 

finished

 

disdains

 

things