Other Definitions
pierre corneille (dict)
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Pierre CorneillePierre Corneille (June 6, 1606–October 1, 1684) was one of the three great dramatists produced by France during the 17th century, along with Molire and Racine. Corneille was born at Rouen, and studied law. He then practiced law for 21 years, meanwhile writing 20 plays. An amazing feat according to most. He moved to Paris in 1629, with the beginnings of a literary career, and soon became successful as a writer of sparkling comedies and plays written to order on behalf of Cardinal Richelieu. He only began to realize his true potential with the tragedy Mede, in 1635, following it up with his masterpiece, Le Cid, in 1636. Corneille was more versatile than Molire and Racine, but often considered less brilliant than either. He tended to concentrate on classical themes (and was sometimes "copied" by Racine to the latter's advantage), though he did not write in the classic unities; those being Time, Place, and Action. (Unity of Time stipulated that all the action in a play must take place within a twenty-four hour time-frame; Unity of Place, that there must be only one setting for the action; and Unity of Action, that the plot must be centred around a single theme, such as tragic love, war, honour, etc.) He did, however, enjoy a brief collaboration with Molire. Between 1653 and 1659, he retired from the theatre altogether, to work on translation. Between 1640 and 1662, he lived mostly at Rouen, but thereafter in Paris. His writing on behalf of and quitting his position for Cardinal Richelieu caused Richelieu to attempt to exact revenge. This attack was partly successful in his attack on Corneille's "Le Cid" which succeeded in driving Corneille from writing for three years. But when he did return he wrote some of his best pieces; the tragedies Horace, Cinna, Polyeucte and the comedy Le Menteur. He died in 1684, having produced his last play ten years earlier. Works - Mlite, (1629)
- Clitandre, (1630–31)
- la Veuve, (1631)
- la Galerie du Palais, (1631–32)
- la Place royale, (1633–34)
- l'Illusion comique, (1636)
- Mde, (1635)
- le Cid, (1637)
- Horace, (1640)
- Cinna, (1641)
- Polyeucte, (1642)
- la Mort de Pompe, (1643)
- Rodogune, (1644)
- Nicomde, (1651)
- le Menteur, (1643)
- Don Sanche d'Aragon, (1650)
- Andromde, (1650)
- Pertharite, (1651)
- l' Imitation de Jsus-Christ, (1656)
Corneille, Pierre Corneille, Pierre Corneille, Pierre Corneille, Pierre
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