Robert Garnier (1544-90) was a French tragedian. According to many, he was both the most important tragedian of sixteenth-century France and the precursor of Corneille and Racine. In addition to occasional poetry, Garnier wrote seven tragedies and one tragic-comedy. Born near Le Mans, in La Ferté-Bernard, Garnier left to study law in Toulouse. At age 22 he won the “Eglantine” (or Sweet Briar) prize, the highest award available at the poetry competition known as the “Jeux Floraux de Toulouse” (Floral Games of Toulouse). After his law studies, he became an

avocat

in the French Parlement. By 1574 he had become the

lieutenant criminel

of Le Maine. He was a Catholic and a supporter of the monarchy, a theme developed in his “Chants royaux en allegorie” (1564-66) and “Hymne de la…

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Citation: Usher, Phillip John. "Robert Garnier". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 September 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1691, accessed 16 April 2024.]

1691 Robert Garnier 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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