See also:

• JEAN

JEAN DE See also:

• JEAN DE ROTROU (1609-1650)

ROTROU (1609-1650)  , See also:

• FRENCH
• FRENCH, DANIEL CHESTER (1850– )
• FRENCH, NICHOLAS (1604-1678)

French tragic poet, was See also:

• BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born on the 19th or loth of See also:

• AUGUST (originally Sextilis)

August 1609, at See also:

• DREUX

Dreux in See also:

• NORMANDY

Normandy . See also:

• ROTROU, JEAN DE (1609-1650)

Rotrou studied at Dreux and at See also:

• PARIS
• PARIS (also called ALEXANDROS)
• PARIS, ALEXIS PAULIN (1800-x881)
• PARIS, BRUNO PAULIN GASTON (1839-1903)
• PARIS, FRANCOIS DE (169o-1727)
• PARIS, LOUIS PHILIPPE ALBERT
• PARIS, TREATIES OF (1814-1815)

Paris, and, though three years younger than See also:

• CORNEILLE, PIERRE (1606–1684)
• CORNEILLE, THOMAS (1625-1709)

Corneille, began See also:

• PLAY

play-See also:

• WRITING
• WRITING (the verbal noun of " to write," O. Eng. writan, to inscribe)

writing before him . In 1632 he became ;playwright to the actors of the Hotel de Bourgogne . With few exceptions, the only events recorded of his See also:

• LIFE

life are the successive appearances of his plays and his enrolment in 1635 in the See also:

• BAND

band of five poets who had the See also:

• DUTY (from " due," that which is owing, O. Fr. deu, dil, past participle of devoir; Lat. debere, debitum; cf. " debt ")

duty of turning See also:

• RICHELIEU, ARMAND EMMANUEL SOPHIE SEPTEMANIE DU PLESSIS
• RICHELIEU, ARMAND JEAN DU PLESSIS
• RICHELIEU, LOUIS FRANCOIS ARMAND DU PLESSIS

Richelieu's dramatic ideas into shape . Rotrou's own first piece, L'Hypocondriaque (pr . 1631), dedicated to the See also:

• COMTE, AUGUSTE [ISIDORE AUGUSTE MARIE FRANCOIS XAVIER] (1798-1857)

Comte de See also:

• SOISSONS

Soissons, seigneur of Dreux, appeared when he was only eighteen . In the same See also:

• YEAR

year he published a collection of Euvres poetiques, including elegies, epistles and religious See also:

• VERSE (from Lat. versus, literally a line or furrow drawn by turning the plough, from vertere, and afterwards signifying an arrangement of syllables into feet)

verse . His second piece, La Bague de l'oubli (pr . 1635), an See also:

• ADAPTATION (from Lat. adaptare. to fit to)

adaptation in See also:

• PART

part from the Sortija del Olvido of Lope de See also:

• VEGA, GARCILASO DE LA
• VEGA, GARCILASO DE LA (1503-1536)

Vega, was much more characteristic . It is the first of several plays in which Rotrou endeavoured to naturalize in See also:

• FRANCE
• FRANCE, ANATOLE (1844– )

France the romantic See also:

• COMEDY

comedy which had flourished in See also:

• SPAIN
• SPAIN (Espana)

Spain and See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England instead of the classical tragedy of See also:

• SENECA

Seneca and the classical comedy of See also:

• TERENCE

Terence . Corneille hadleanings in the same direction . Rotrou's brilliant but hasty and unequal See also:

• WORK

work showed throughout marks of a stronger See also:

• ADHESION (from Lat. adhaerere, to adhere)

adhesion to the See also:

• SPANISH

Spanish See also:

• MODEL (0. Fr. modelle, mod. modele; It. modello, pattern, mould; from Lat. modus, measure, standard)

model .

In 1634, when he printed Cleagenor et Doristee (acted 163o), he said he was already the author of See also:

• THIRTY

thirty pieces; but this applies no doubt to adaptations . Diane (acted 163o; pr . 1633), See also:

• LES

Les Occasions perdues (acted 1631; pr . 1635), which won for him the favour of Richelieu, and L'Heureuse See also:

• CONSTANCE
• CONSTANCE (Ger. Konstanz or Costnitz)
• CONSTANCE, COUNCIL OF
• CONSTANCE, LAKE OF (called by the Romans Lacus Brigantinus or lake of Bregenz, and now usually named in German Bodensee, as well as the " Swabian Sea ")

Constance (acted 1631; pr . 1635), which was praised by See also:

• ANNE (1665-1714)
• ANNE (1693-1740)

Anne of See also:

• AUSTRIA
• AUSTRIA, LOWER (Ger. Niederosterreich or Osterreich unter der Enns, " Austria below the river Enns ")
• AUSTRIA, UPPER (Ger. Oberosterreich or Osterreich ob der Enns, " Austria above the river Enns ")

Austria, succeeded each other rapidly, and were all in the Spanish manner . In 1631 Rotrou imitated See also:

• PLAUTUS, TITUS MACCIUS (originally perhaps MACCUS; cf. Asin. Prol. 11)

Plautus in Les Ment;chmes (pr . 1636), and in 1634 Seneca in his Hercule mourant (pr . 1636) . Comedies and tragi-comedies followed . Documents exist showing the See also:

• SALE
• SALE, GEORGE (c. 1697-1736)
• SALE, SIR ROBERT HENRY (1782—1845)

sale of four pieces to See also:

• ANTOINE, ANDRE (1858- )

Antoine de Sommarille for 75o livres tournois in 1636, and in the next year he sold ten to the same bookseller . He spent much See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time at Le Mans with his See also:

• PATRON

patron, M. de Belin, who was one of the opponents of Corneille in the See also:

• QUARREL

quarrel of the See also:

• CID, THE

Cid . It has been generally assumed, partly because of a forged See also:

• LETTER (through Fr. lettre from Lat. littera or litera, letter of the alphabet; the origin of the Latin word is obscure; it has probably no connexion with the root of linere, to smear, i.e. with wax, for an inscription with a stilus)

letter See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long accepted as Corneille's, that Rotrou was his generous defender in this See also:

• MATTER

matter .

He appears to have been no more than neutral, but is credited with an See also:

• ATTEMPT (Lat. adtemptare, attentare, to try)

attempt at reconciliation between the parties in a pamphlet printed in 1637, L'Incognu et veritable amy de messieurs de See also:

• SCUDERY

Scudery et Corneille . M. de Belin died in 1637, See also:

• ROTTA, CHROTTA, HROTTA (Fr. Cithare, rotta; Ger, Cytharr„ Rotta)

ROTTA and in 1639 Rotrou bought the See also:

• POST

post of See also:

• LIEUTENANT

lieutenant particulier au bailliage at Dreux . In the next year he married See also:

• MARGUERITE

Marguerite See also:

• CAMUS, ARMAND GASTON (1740-1804)
• CAMUS, CHARLES ETIENNE LOUIS (1699-1768)
• CAMUS, FRANCOIS JOSEPH DES (1672-1732)

Camus, and settled down as a model See also:

• MAGISTRATE (Lat. magistratus, from magister, master, properly a public office, hence the person holding such an office)

magistrate and Pere de See also:

• FEMALE

female . Among his pieces written before his See also:

• MARRIAGE

marriage were a See also:

• TRANSLATION

translation of the See also:

• AMPHITRYON

Amphitryon of Plautus, under the See also:

• TITLE (0. Fr. title, mod. titre, from Lat. titulus)

title of Les Deux Sosies (1636), See also:

• ANTIGONE, (I)

Antigone (1638), and Laure Persecutee (acted 1637; pr . 1639), in the opposite See also:

• STYLE
• STYLE (from Gr. a-6'1ms, a column; a different word from that used in literature, see below)

style to these classical pieces . In 1646 Rotrou produced the first of his four masterpieces, Le Veritable See also:

• SAINT (lat. sanctus, " holy ")

Saint Genest (acted 1646; pr . 1648), a See also:

• STORY, JOHN (c. 1510-1571)
• STORY, JOSEPH (1779-1845)
• STORY, ROBERT HERBERT (1835-1907)
• STORY, WILLIAM WETMORE (1819—1895)

story of See also:

• CHRISTIAN
• CHRISTIAN, WILLIAM (1608-1663)

Christian martyrdom containing some amusing by-play, one See also:

• NOBLE, SIR ANDREW (1832- )

noble speech and a See also:

• GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good See also:

• DEAL

deal of dignified See also:

• ACTION

action . Rotrou uses with considerable success the See also:

• DEVICE

device of a play within a play . The actor Genest becomes a real convert while playing the part of a Christian See also:

• MARTYR (Gr. pimp or µaprvs)

martyr . Incidentally (See also:

• ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

Act i . Sc. v.) Rotrou pays a noble See also:

• TRIBUTE (Lat. tributurn, a stated payment, contribution)

tribute to the See also:

• GENIUS (from Lat. genere, gignere)

genius of Corneille . See also:

• DON
• DON (anc. Tanais)

Don See also:

• BERTRAND, HENRI GRATIEN, COMTE (1773-1844)

Bertrand de See also:

• CABRERA, RAMON (1806-1877)

Cabrera (1647) is a tragi-comedy of merit; Venceslas (1647 ; pr .

1648) is considered in France his See also:

• MASTER (Lat. magister, related to tnagis, more, as the corresponding minister is to minus, less; the English form is due partly to the O. Eng. maegister, and partly to O. Fr. maistre, mod. maitre; cf. Du. meester, Ger. Meister, Ital. maestro)

master-piece, and has had several See also:

• MODERN

modern revivals; Cosroes (1649) has an See also:

• ORIENTAL

Oriental setting, and is claimed as the only absolutely See also:

• ORIGINAL

original piece of Rotrou . These masterpieces follow See also:

• FOREIGN

foreign See also:

• MODELS

models, and Rotrou's genius is shown in the skill with which he simplifies the See also:

• PLOT
• PLOT, ROBERT (164o-1696)

plot and strengthens the situations . Saint Genest followed Lope de Vega's Lo fingido verdadero; Venceslas followed the No ay See also:

• SER

ser padre siendo rey of Francisco de Rojas . In this play Ladislas and his See also:

• BROTHER

brother both love the princess See also:

• CASSANDRA

Cassandra; Ladislas makes his way into her See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

house and in the darkness kills a See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man whom he thinks to be the See also:

• DUKE (corresponding to Fr. duc, Ital. duca, Ger. Herzog)

duke of See also:

• COURLAND, or KURLAND

Courland, but who is really his brother See also:

• ALEXANDRE, NOEL (NATALIS ALEXANDER) (1639-1724)

Alexandre, the favoured See also:

• LOVER, SAMUEL (1797-1868)

lover . In the See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early See also:

• MORNING

morning he meets the See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king and is confronted by the duke of Courland . The outline of this incident is in the Spanish play, but there the spectators are aware of the ghastly See also:

• MISTAKE (i.e. take amiss)

mistake at the time of the See also:

• MURDER

murder . Rotrou shows his dramatic skill by concealing the real facts from the See also:

• AUDIENCE (from Lat. audire, to hear)

audience until they are revealed to the horror-struck Ladislas himself . In i65o the See also:

• PLAGUE (in Gr. Xotµos; in Lat. pestis, pestilentia)

plague See also:

• BROKE, or BROOKE, ARTHUR (d. 1563)
• BROKE, SIR PHILIP BOWES VERE, BART

broke out at Dreux . Rotrou remained at his post, although urgently desired to See also:

• SAVE, or SAVA (Ger. Sau; Hungarian Szdva; Lat. Savus)

save himself by going to Paris; caught the disease, and died in a few See also:

• HOURS, CANONICAL

hours . He was buried at Dreux on the 28th of See also:

• JUNE

June 1650 . Rotrou's See also:

• GREAT

great fertility (he See also:

• LEFT

left thirty-five collected plays besides others lost, strayed or uncollected), and perhaps the uncertainty of dramatic See also:

• PLAN
• PLAN (from Lat. planes, flat)

plan shown by his hesitation almost to the last between the classical and the romantic style have injured his work . He has no thoroughly good play, hardly one thoroughly good act .

But his situations are often pathetic and noble, and as a tragic poet properly so called he is at his best almost the equal of Corneille and of See also:

• RACINE
• RACINE, JEAN (1639-1699)
• RACINE, LOUIS (1692-1763)

Racine . His single lines and single phrases have a brilliancy and force not to be found in French See also:

• DRAMA (literally "action," from Gr. Snail, act or do)

drama between Corneille and See also:

• HUGO, GUSTAV VON (1764–1844)
• HUGO, VICTOR MARIE (1802-1885)

Hugo . A See also:

• COMPLETE

complete edition of Rotrou was edited in five volumes by See also:

• VIOLLET, PAUL MARIE (184o- )

Viollet le Duc in 1822 . In 1882 M. de Ronchaud published a handsome edition of six plays—Saint Genest, Venceslas, Don Bertrand de Cabrere, Antigone, Hercule Mourant and Cosroes . Venceslas and Saint Genest are also to be found in the Chefs-d'oeuvre Tragiques of the Collection See also:

• DIDOT

Didot . Rotrou's brother, See also:

• PIERRE

Pierre Rotrou de Saudreville, left a memoir of him which is unfortunately lost, but this is cited by the See also:

• ABBE (Serbo-Croatian Rai))

Abbe Brillon (1671-t736) as his authority in a See also:

• NOTICE

Notice biographique sur See also:

• JEAN

Jean Rotrou, first printed in 1885 at See also:

• CHARTRES

Chartres under the editorship of L . Merlet . Other good earlier authorities are Niceron, Memoires pour servir a l'histoire See also:

• DES

des hommes See also:

• ILLUSTRES

illustres (1731), vol. xvi. pp . 89-97; and the duke de la Valliere, Bibl. du See also:

• THEATRE (BEarpov, " a place for seeing," from OeacOae)

theatre See also:

• FRANCOIS (1558-1614)

francois depuis son origine (See also:

• DRESDEN

Dresden, 1768), vol. ii. pp . 155-273 . Modern See also:

• WORKS

works are by J . See also:

• JARRY, NICOLAS

Jarry, Essai sur les oeuvres dramatiques de Jean Rotrou (Paris and See also:

• LILLE

Lille, 1868) ; Leonce See also:

• PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

Person, Hist. du Venceslas de Rotrou, suivie de notes critiques et biographiques (1882), in which many legends about Rotrou are discredited; Hist. du veritable Saint Genest de Rotrou (1882), Les Papiers de Pierre Rotrou de Saudreville (1883) ; See also:

• HENRI

Henri Chardon, La See also:

• VIE

Vie de Rotrou mieux connue (1884) ; and Georg See also:

• STEFFENS, HENRIK (1773-1845)

Steffens, Jean de Rotrou als Nachahmer Lope de Vega's (See also:

• BERLIN
• BERLIN, CONGRESS AND TREATY OF
• BERLIN, ISAIAH (1725–1799)

Berlin, 1891) .