Pixérécourt and the French Romantic Drama

Brunetiere enunciates what he calls "the law of the drama" as follows: "Drama is a representation of the will of man in conflict with the mysterious powers or natural forces which limit and belittle us; it is one of us thrown living upon the stage, there to struggle against fatality; against social law; against one of his fellows; against himself, if need be; against the ambitions, the interests, the prejudices, the folly, the malevolence of those around him." 1 That is to say, the essence of drama, according to this definition at least, is struggle-of one will or of several wills-hence conflict, hence also uncertainty, suspense, anxiety. But, says H . A. Jones, 2 in a play constructed on these principles, character would be sacrificed to plot. Further, the play would miss its chief end, that of giving an impression of life. "If the drama is really a struggle of will-power, this struggle should often be kept beneath the surface of the action. Though hidden, it will yet be the dominant moving power of the play. " That is, the struggle should not be merely physical, or external, but chiefly mental. Drama is a matter of mind rather than of spectacle. Professor G. P. Baker3 differs from Brunetiere by defining "dramatic" as " creative of emotional response." The word "dramatic," he asserts, may be used of mere physical action, of action which illustrates character or helps to an understanding of the play, of mental activity, or even of a situation lacking in activity, provided the audience can be roused to emotional response. "While action is held to be essential in drama, emotion is really the essen-1 F . Brunetiere: The Law of the Drama (published by the dramatic museum of Columbia University, New York, 1914). 2 1n his introduction to the above-mentioned work. 3 ln Dramatic Technique, chap. II.

The purpose of this work is to establish the relationship between the Romantic drama in France of the period 1829-1843 (circa) and the melodrama or "popular tragedy" which flourished in the second-class theatres during the first three decades of the nineteenth century. Since the essence of the melodrama of that period is found in the works of Guilbert de Pixerecourt (a fact which no student of French literature will deny) it has been thought sufficient to concentrate attention on these works and their connection with the Romantic drama, rather than to treat all or a large number of the many authors of melodrama who helped to flood the popular stage at that time.

PREFACE 3 CONTENTS 5 CHAPTER I. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MELODRAMA OF PIXERECOURT 7 CHAPTER II. MELODRAMA AND ROMANTIC DRAMA-HISTORICAL POINTS OF CONTACT 25 CHAPTER III. MELODRAMA AND ROMANTIC DRAMA-HISTORICAL POINTS OF CONTACT 35 CHAPTER IV. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ROMANTIC DRAMA AND MELODRAMA IN RESPECT OF THE TRAGIC ELEMENT 47 CHAPTER V. PATHETIC, SENTIMENTAL AND SENSATIONAL ELEMENTS IN ROMANTIC DRAMA, CONSIDERED IN THEIR RELATION TO THE MELODRAMA 59 CHAPTER VI. MELODRAMA AND THE STOCK CHARACTERS OF ROMANTIC DRAMA 75 CHAPTER VII. CONCLUSION-A SUMMING-UP OF THE ARGUMENT OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS, WITH INFERENCES DRAWN THEREFROM 80 BIBLIOGRAPHY 86