French Literature Reviews - 2026
Yohann Deguin, La Désillusion comique. Étude de La Place Royale, du Menteur et de La Suite du Menteur de Pierre Corneille
Theatre and Performance
This book offers a study of three comedies by Pierre Corneille (1606–1684): La Place Royale (1634), Le Menteur (1643), and La Suite du Menteur (1644). It aims to provide readers with an introduction to early 17th-century comedy, specifically comedy before Molière. It also sheds new light on a playwright best known for his tragedies and tragi-comedies (Le Cid, Cinna, etc.), but who in fact devoted the first part of his long career (1629–1674) to successfully and profoundly renewing comic theatre, bringing to the stage the romantic triumphs and heartbreaks of contemporary urban youth. The study is followed by a critical anthology and a bibliography.
Contents
Introduction
Preamble
Corneille and Comedy in the First Half of the 17th Century
Corneille's Inferior Genre: An Investigation into Corneille's Comedies
Chapter 1. What Makes Corneille Original? Elements of Dramaturgy
Up to La Place Royale
La Place Royale or The Extravagant Lover
Le Menteur
La Suite du Menteur
Chapter 2. The Genres of Comedy
From Pastoral to Comedia, or a Round Trip
Comedy, "A Land of Romances" (Le Menteur, v. 552)?
Chapter 3. Corneille Nearly Comic: The Risk of the Tragic
"Everything changes, and joy gives way to sorrow" (La Suite du Menteur, op. cit., p. 301)
"To the greatest sorrows succeeds gladness" (La Suite du Menteur, op. cit., p. 301)
From Comedies of Deception to the Test of Heroism: Heroes or Characters?
Chapter 4. Erato and Thalia: The Comedy of Forms
Dialogue, Versification, Fragmentation
The Lyrical Expression of Comedy: Stanzas and Monologues
Fabulous Tirades: Narrating, Describing, Inventing
Conclusion
Critical Anthology
Bibliography
The seventeenth century in France witnessed a significant evolution in dramatic forms, as playwrights navigated the transition from the pastoral traditions of the Renaissance to the more structured aesthetics of classicism. During this period, comedy was often categorized as a secondary genre compared to tragedy, yet it served as a space for experimentation with urban social dynamics and romantic intrigue. This study examines three comedies by Pierre Corneille: La Place Royale (1634), Le Menteur (1643), and La Suite du Menteur (1644), situating his work within the landscape of early 17th-century theatre before Molière.
Corneille devoted the first part of his career to renewing comic theatre, focusing on the romantic triumphs and heartbreaks of contemporary urban youth. The study covers elements of his dramaturgy, including versification, monologues, and the shift from pastoral motifs to the influence of the comedia. It also examines the tension between deception and heroism, as well as the lyrical expression found within these plays. Readers interested in the development of French comic theatre during the first half of the seventeenth century may find this exploration relevant.