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French Literature
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Molière
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Camus, Albert
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Prévert, Jaques
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Other Literary Greats
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Homer
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Alighieri, Dante
French Literature
Molière
(Jean-Baptiste Poquelin)
(1622-1673)
Jean-Baptist Poquelin was born in Paris to a father who was the upholster of the King. After finishing his education at Collège de Clemont (today Louis-Le-Grand), Poquelin met his future wife, Madeleine Béjart, and took on the name of Molière, as he wanted to devote the rest of his life to the theatre. Failure came quick to Molière. He defeated it, however, in 1655 when he presented his first play L´Etourdi. Other great comedies to follow this one were Les Précieusse Ridicules (1659), Sganarelle (1960), L´École Des Maris (1661), Les Facheux (1662), L´Impromptu de Versailles (1663), Le Mariage Forcé (1663), Tartuffe (1664), Dom Juan, and L´Amour Médecin (1665). Like every prestigious writer, Molière also created some of the finest work in his time period including his comedy, Le Misanthrope and his farce, Le Mèdecin, both in 1666. As notable as William Shakespeare or Christopher Marlowe, Molière created many successful French plays of most brilliance. His list of works goes on to a total of over 30 published plays, which almost all have been seen by the King of France. Molière died an unfortunate death on stage after a few blackouts at the age of 51.
Camus, Albert
1913-1960
Albert Camus was born into a working-class family in Mondovi, Algeria. Camus was educated at the University of Algiers where he studied philosophy. Before the Second World War, Camus had experience in acting, teaching, and in playwright and journalism with the position as the editor of a Resistance newspaper in Paris. Camus recieved his first taste of success with his novel , L´Etranger in 1942. Other works that protruded in his later years included Caligula (1944), La Peste (1947), L´Homme Révolté (1951), La Chute (1956), L´Exile et le Royaume (1957), and several plays and varying political works. Three years before his death at age 44, Camus recieved one of his greatest achievments, the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. In 1960, at the age of 47, Camus died in an automobile accident outside Sens, France. Two years after Camus´ death, Notebooks 1935-1942 was published.
Prévert, Jaques
1900-77
Jaques Prévert was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Through his life, Prévert has written many things, including songs, pieces, scenarios and a screenplay for the very popular Enfants du paradis, produced in 1946. In his collection of works, Prévert also included poetry which has become very popular, for instance La pluie et le beau temps (1955), and Choses et autres (1972).
Other Literary Greats
Homer
Little is known about Homer. He was a Greek, however, who was born probably in a Greek colony on the coast of Asia Minor. Some scholars believe that the coming of the Iliad and the Odyssey were created from the minds of numerous poets. Before Homer was born, poets and entertainers traveled from village to village entertaining royalty, the nobility and commoners with their poems. During this period, the Trojan War was a favorite subject. Poets all had their individual versions and when Homer wrote his version, scholars believe that Homer took all the versions and created them into one big one, this became known as the Iliad. A short period after, the Odyssey was created in the same way. Because these versions were so much better than any other, poets began reciting these for entertainment. Later when writing came into play, the Iliad and the Odyssey were written down. Other works have also been adapted to his name, for instance the Homeric hymns. However, they do date to a much later period so they could not have been written by Homer.
Alighieri, Dante
1265-1321
Dante Alighieri was born in Florence, Italy. His mother, Bella, died during Dante´s childhood and his father passed away when he was eighteen. Perhaps it was this turmoil as well as his educated upbringing that bestowed upon him a maturity of thought at a youthful age. At only nine years of age he met Beatrice Portinari (1265-1290), the young woman who would become his lifelong love. It is not known if she ever returned his enduring passion for her, and only one recording of a further meeting between the two, nine years later, exists. Poems declaring his love marked the beginning of his literary career, each which detailed his undying passion for Beatrice. Her death in 1290 was a devastation to Dante. Collecting his poems that he wrote for her were published together in a book which he entitled La Vita Nuova (The New Life). Following this, Dante began a detailed study of the Classics, theology, and philosophy. In doing so he hoped to find some solace from his grief.
In the following years Dante became involved in the turbulent politics in Florence. After getting to involved and being sentenced to death if he ever returned to Florence, Dante began to travel. He wandered about Italy, visiting the homes of powerful lords and nobles who welcomed a man who they saw as a genius. In his travels he saw the sins of mankind all around him. Greed, envy, violence and rival groups whose arguments ended in the spilling of blood. This began to inspire him to write what would become his greatest work, the Divine Comedy. It is believed that he began writing it around 1307 and was completed shortly before his death. Divided into three sections, Inferno(Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory) and Paradiso (Paradise). It tells of his travels through these places, the personalities he meets and the tortures and rewards of the various souls. Each character is symbolic, and the punishments and rewards are appropriate to the person's actions in life. His guide throughout Hell and Purgatory is the poet Virgil while his beloved Beatrice guides him through paradise. Shortly after the completion of Paradiso marked the death of Dante due to malaria. He had seven children, six boys and a single girl named Antonia. Following her father´s death she became a nun and took the name Sister Beatrice.
The Divine Comedy was the first time the terza rima (third rhyme) rhyme scheme was used, invented by Dante. This achievement, as well as his imagery and spiritual philosophy has made the Divine Comedy one of the greatest masterpieces of the literary world.
The Ages
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