Myth and its Making in the French Theatre
Studies Presented to W. D. Howarth

The authors of the fifteen essays that make up this 1988 volume interpret 'Myth and its Making' in the widest possible sense.

E. Freeman (Edited by), H. Mason (Edited by), M. O'Regan (Edited by), S. W. Taylor (Edited by)

9780521187763, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 April 2011

236 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.4 cm, 0.3 kg

The authors of the fifteen essays that make up this volume were invited to interpret 'Myth and its Making' in the widest possible sense. They were encouraged to re-examine not only the time-honoured ancient themes exploited in the French theatre from the Renaissance onwards, but other literary, historical or legendary subjects that have undergone a similar process of mythic enhancement and stylisation. Thus they explored the ways in which existing literary myths renewed themselves, as well as the process of creating new myths for the modern age. Originally published in 1988, the text contains essays in both French and English, written from a broad range of perspectives. It will be of value to anyone with an interest in French theatre and literary theory.

List of illustrations
W. D. Howard - an appreciation S. W. Taylor
Bibliography of W. D. Howarth's writings H. R. Slaughter
Preface E. Freeman
1. Du texte à la représentation Michel Corvin
2. The presence of Rome in some plays of Robert Garnier Margaret McGowan
3. Bradamante: l'épique au burlesque Micheline Cuénin
4. Corneille's Oedipe I. D. McFarlane
5. Racine's Andromaque: new myth for old H. T. Barnwell
6. Ritual murder at Versailles: Racine's Ipigénie R. C. Knight
7. The myth of place in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French theatre Michael O'Regan
8. Marivaux mythologue Jacques Scherer
9. Fathers, good and bad, in Voltaire's Mahomet Hadyn Mason
10. From Raynal's 'new Spartacus' to Lamartine's Toussaint Louverture: a myth of the black soul in rebellion E. Freeman
11. Alfred de Musset: Don Juan on the Boulevard de Gand Merlin Thomas
12. Avatars of Jupiter in Sartre's Les Mouches and Giraoudoux's Amphitryon Odette de Mourgues
13. Reality and myth in Montherlant's Don Juan Richard Griffiths
14. The myth in the theatre of Anouilh: a personal impression Donald Watson
15. 'Entre le mythique et le quotidien': myth in the theatre of Michel Vinaver David Bradby.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: plays & playwrights [DSG]