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Moliere and the Historian of French Society

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2009

L. Leon Bernard
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Extract

Of all the liberal arts no two would appear to be more closely and naturally interrelated than literature and history. Doubtless one can enjoy and appreciate much in belles-lettres even though handicapped by a limited knowledge of history, but the serious study of any body of literature would generally be admitted to presuppose a reasonable mastery of the historical milieu. In some instances, even a superficial understanding of a literary work would be impossible without the ability to place it in proper historical context. That literature is closely akin to history can be vouched for by the many who have been exposed to literature courses in college wherein the “background” seemed to outweigh in importance the creative achievements under study.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Review of Politics , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , October 1955 , pp. 530 - 544
Copyright
Copyright © University of Notre Dame 1955

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References

1 Taine, Hippolyte, History of English Literature, trans. Henry Van Laun (N. Y. n.d.), I, 1.Google Scholar

2 Ibid.

3 L'Impromptu de Versailles, Sc. 4. Unless otherwise indicated, the edition used is that of Eugène Despois and Paul Mesnard, 13 Vols. (Paris, 1875–1929), with translations by the author.

4 III, 3.

5 Ibid.

6 Lancaster, Henry C., A History of French Dramatic Literature in the Seventeenth Century, 5 Vols. in 9 (Baltimore, 1929–1942), Part IIIGoogle Scholar, “The Period of Molière, 1652–1672,” I, 21.Google Scholar

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8 III, 1.

9 III, 3.

10 I, 1.

11 III, 12.

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13 Sc. 22.

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20 Ibid.

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29 Ibid., p. 240.

30 Ibid.

31 III, 1; also p. 127, note 4.

32 La Comtesse D'Escarbagnas, I, 2.Google Scholar