INTRODUCTORY NOTE
Pierre Corneille was born in Rouen in 1606, the son
of an official; was educated by the Jesuits, and practised
unsuccessfully as a lawyer. His dramatic career
began with the co...
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The French dramatist Pierre Corneille (1606-1684) wrote more than 30 plays and is often called the father of French tragedy. His tragedies characteristically explore the conflict between heroic love a...
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The most successful playwright of the reign of Louis XIII, Pierre Corneille was the author of thirty-three plays and of the most important study of dramatic aesthetics in his century, known as "Trois ...
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In the following essay, Cairncross underscores the flaws in Polyeucte and traces the critical reaction to the play throughout the years.
For the last forty years, critics have placed Polyeucte (? 1...
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Polyeucte
Pierre Corneille
Pierre Corneille
Critical Essay by John Cairncross
