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VIX

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ARISTOTELIAN  AND  PSEUDO- ARISTOTELIAN  ELI.ISJ  NTS
IN  CORNEILLE’S  TRAGEDIES

Introduction

A  study  of  the  Aristotelian  and  more  particularly

the  pseudo-Aristotelian  elements  in  Corneille’s  tragedies

is  of  particular  interest  to  students  of  dramatic  theories,

because  the  period  covered  hy  these  plays,  from  1630  to

1660  approximately,  represents  the  introduction,  evolution,

and  final  estatlishment  of  the  classic  tragedy  in  France,

Much  has  teen  written  on  the  ramatie  theories  of  Corneille,

as  is  olvlous  from  the  litliography  given  at  the  end  of  this

thesis.  Tut  practically  all  this  work  (1)  has  teen  tased  on

the  critical  writings  of  Corneille,  that  is,  the  Examens  and

the  three  Dlscours  of  1660.  It  must  le  remembered  that  what,

Corneille  wrote  in  the  Examens  and  Dlscours  was  the  result  of

much  concentrated  study  on  the  Poetlos  of  Aristotle  and  his

Italian  commentators.  During  this  long  study,  Corneille

learned  many  things  of  which  he  had  teen  entirely  ignorant

when  he  wrote  hie  masterpieces.  So  that  what  we  read  a  out

the  Cid,  or  Horace  or  Cinna.  in  the  Examens  or  Pi sc ours.
gives  no  reliaile  indications  as  to  the  dramatic  technique

followed  ly  Corneille  when  he  wrote  those  plays.
(1)  cf.  Titliography  under  TBhm,  Lemaltre.  The  works  of
these  critics  deal  with  Corneille’ b  doctrine  as  formu¬
lated  in  1660.
