French Literature Reviews - 2026
Valentine Dussueil, Beaumarchais, Legal Polemics and Theatre
Theatre and Performance
Valentine Dussueil
Beaumarchais, polémique judiciaire et théâtre
Paris, Classiques Garnier, coll. « POLEN - Pouvoirs, lettres, normes », n° 39, 2025.
Beaumarchais’s legal memoirs draw upon the arts of the dramatist, the polemicist, and the pleader, pointing directly toward the stage. This book explores the connections between his legal and theatrical works, highlighting the pivotal role played by the dramatist in reshaping 18th-century forensic eloquence.
Also available in a hardcover edition - EAN 9782406190776 - priced at 98 EUR.
The intersections of law and literature formed a significant area of engagement during the Enlightenment, as writers frequently adopted forensic discourse to address broader social and institutional questions. In eighteenth-century France, legal memoirs often circulated widely among the reading public, functioning simultaneously as serious judicial arguments and as engaging public spectacles. By blurring the boundaries between the courtroom and the stage, authors could appeal directly to public opinion while navigating the strictures of contemporary censorship and patronage systems.
Valentine Dussueil examines how Beaumarchais integrated the techniques of the playwright, the polemicist and the pleader within his legal writings. The study highlights the ways in which these texts point toward the stage and contribute to the evolution of forensic eloquence during the period. Readers interested in eighteenth-century French theatre and the history of legal rhetoric may find this volume relevant to their inquiries.