Pierre Corneille, Horace

Kelly McConnell (Dartmouth College)

Ed. by Julia Prest, University of St Andrews
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.03: French Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century: Classical and Baroque, 1600-1700.
Vol. editors: Heather Kirk (University of Western Ontario), Kathrina LaPorta (New York University), Polly Mangerson (DePaul University), Julia Prest (University of St Andrews), Allison Stedman (University of North Carolina, Charlotte), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1640

Places

France (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play
Tragedy

Resources

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Pierre Corneille’s tragedy

Horace

was first performed privately for the Cardinal de Richelieu in 1639, and publicly at the Théâtre du Marais in 1640.

Horace

was the playwright’s second great success, and his first play written after the quarrel surrounding

Le Cid

(1637). Previously challenged for having failed to respect both the rules of “bienséance” (propriety), and the unity of time, space, and action in

Le Cid

, Corneille clearly responds to these challenges in

Horace

. Despite these formal attentions, however,

Horace

arguably pushes the limits of familial, amorous, and political conflict even further than those portrayed in

Le Cid

. The comQplex relationships and confrontations between the play’s central characters and their conflicting loyalties to family, state, and love…

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2760 words

Citation: McConnell, Kelly. "Horace". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 August 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4687, accessed 18 April 2024.]

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Pierre Corneille, Horace

Dates

Places

Genres and Modes

Resources

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