Curiosity Corner #190: Victor's (minor) French Revolution.

Mention the name of Victor Hugo and immediately Jean Valjean or
Quasimodo come to mind. We have come to know this famous
French writer through two of his novels Les Miserables and Notre
Dame de Paris. We have either read them as class exercises or have
seen the motion pictures produced from these masterpieces.

However, the true contribution of Hugo to Nineteenth Century
European literature cannot be measured by these two works for he
was not merely a novelist. He was a poet, playwright and literary
adventurer-the father of Romanticism in the French theater.

As one looks at the 18 franc stamp (apologies poor duplicate scan)
http://cjoint.com/data/cBnByZiE6g.htm
issued by the French government
and bearing the inscription "Hernani de Victor Hugo" one could not
know or guess at the veritable literary revolution which this play,
"Hernani" caused at its premiere in 1830. In fact, the first showing of
this drama has come down to us as "La Bataille d'Hernani' ....The
Battle of Hernani.

Seventeenth Century France produced many great writers of prose
and poetry. Among the playwrights are found Racine who wrote
Andromaque and Phedre as well as Corneille best known for the Cid.

These literary geniuses wrote during the golden era of French
literature and are called "Classical Writers." They followed the severe
French classical rules of play-wrighting. If one were to read these
plays, one would at once be struck at the type of verse used-the
Alexandrine. That is, each line of the play contains twelve syllables,
not more, not less. In addition, after the sixth syllable there is the
cesura-the pause which the actor is permitted when declaiming his
role. Each verse or line must complete the thought expressed therein
and none may be continued on the following line (pas
d'enjambement).

These and other strict rules of the French theater were continued
through the Eighteenth Century and down to the French Revolution.
At this time, however a new literary spirit was rising-Romanticism.
Jean Jacques Rousseau and Chateaubriand were introducing it in
their novels; Alfred de Vigny and La Martine were to bring about the
same change in poetry. Victor Hugo was to be the champion of this
revolution in the French theater.

In 1827 Hugo, in his famous "Preface" to Cromwell had already
stated that the classical rules of play-wrighting were outmoded and
should be done away with. Restraints upon the playwrights were
harmful rather than helpful. To prove his point, M. Hugo wrote the
play "Hernani" in which all classical rules were cast aside.

The story itself is relatively unimportant. The results of its production
were cataclysmic. For the premiere Victor Hugo had invited a great
number of his friends-partisans of Romanticism. They came to the
theater early and sat themselves in strategic parts of the theater.
However, also in the audience were many enemies of
Romanticism-the Classicists.

The first lines of "Hernani" provoked the first incidents. Classical
rules of playwrighting already were being broken. Audible
disapproval was immediately heard from the Classicists who were
immediately answered by Hugo's friends. These verbal exchanges
soon changed into real fist-fights between the two factions-a
veritable battle of Hernani.

This battle was to continue for some little time to come but in the end
the Romantics won out. The Classicists were routed. A new era in
French drama had begun.
1830-the year of literary as well as political upheaval. Charles X
was overthrown by political, Classicism by literary, revolution.

The Story Behind the Stamp
THE LITERARY REVOLUTION OF 183O
BY RICHARD M. GRAF

Le Sun, 27 Feb 2005 20:21:35 +0800, dans rec.collecting.stamps.discuss,
"Rodney" a écrit :


These and other strict rules of the French theater were continued
through the Eighteenth Century and down to the French Revolution.
At this time, however a new literary spirit was rising-Romanticism.
Jean Jacques Rousseau and Chateaubriand were introducing it in
their novels; Alfred de Vigny and La Martine were to bring about the
same change in poetry. Victor Hugo was to be the champion of this
revolution in the French theater.

Lamartine, not «*La Martine*». He was a man, not a woman. Martine is a
woman's first name, in France.

URL:http://www.philatelix.fr/catalogue/timbres.cfm?prov=liste_timbres&catid=&motcle=lamar tine&dallay=811


--
DC