The article examines the originality of Molière’s comedy tradition transformation in the plays of Marivaux. Being the great comedy reformer Molière created classic examples of the genre and had a huge impact on the world theater. At the same time, this does not mean that subsequent comedians are completely dependent on Molière’s manner. Marivaux, although he relies on Molière’s experience, uses Molière’s techniques of commedia dell’arte, however, is achieving a different artistic result, a different tone, and uses a different type of comic. This is especially clear when comparing two comedies belonging to the “school” genre – “School of Wives” by Molière and “School of Mothers” by Marivaux. Molière, incorporating elements of farce into the “high comedy”, enhances the laughter tone, in essence, the first to associate the comedy genre with laughter. The playwright of the 18th century, condensing various kinds of intrigues in the plot of a one-act comedy, driving an easily resolved ironic-playful love conflict, was finally able to create an original type of rococo love-psychological comedy.
Molière; Marivaux; comedy; intrigue; farce; tradition; novelty.
Pachsarian, N.T. “Molière and Marivaux”. Literaturovedcheskii zhurnal, no. 2(56), 2022, pp. 30–38. DOI: 10.31249/litzhur/2022.56.02
1. Berkovskii, N.Ya. “Marivo, Mol’er, Salakru i pantomime”. Berkovskii, N.Ya. Literatura i teatr [Literature and Theatre]. Moscow, Iskusstvo Publ., 1969, pp. 454–485. (In Russ.)
2. Dunaeva, E.A. Velikii litsedei, ili Obmanshchik. Evolutsiya farsa v vysokich komediyach Mol’era [A Great Actor or Deceiver. The Evolution of farce in the Molière’s High Comedies]. Moscow, Gruppa Navona Publ., 2018, 397 p. (In Russ.)
3. Mol’er. “Shkola zhen” [“The School for Wives”]. Mol’er. Sobranie sochinenii [Collected Works]: in 2 vols. Moscow, GHIL Publ., 1957, vol. 1, pp. 405–487. (In Russ.)
4. Brouard-Arends, I. “De L’école des mères à La mère confidente: héritage et innovation”. Revue Marivaux, 1992, no. 3, pp. 63–68. (In French)
5. Brunetière, F. “La comédie de Marivaux. Etudes sur le XVIIIe siècle”. Revue des Deux Mondes, vol. 44, pp. 671–684. (In French)
6. Caraguel, C. “Marivaux”. Journal des Débats, 1860, 14 janvier, pp. 1–4. (In French)
7. Cismaru, A. Marivaux and Molière. A Comparison. Lubbock, Texas, Tech. Univ.
Press, 1977, 139 p. (In English)
8. Desvignes, L. “Dancourt, Marivaux et l’education des filles”. RHLF, 1963, pp. 394–414. (In French)
9. Duccini, H. “Watteau et Marivaux: deux témoins d’une mutation du sentiment amoureux au XVIIIe siècle”. Le temps des médias, 2012, vol. 2, no. 19, pp. 12–21. (In French)
10. Le Gallois de Grimaret, J.-L. Mémoires sur Molière et sur madame Guérin, sa veuve. P., Ponthieu, 1822, 348 p. (In French)
11. Marivaux. L’école des mères. Gwénola, E. et P. Fièvre, 2015, pp. 1–44. (In French)
12. Moureau, F. “Marivaux: un hérésiarque en littérature?”. Revue d’histoire littéraire de la France, 2012, vol. 112, no. 3, pp. 517–531. (In French)
13. Ocenas, M. “Le théatre de Marivaux”. Théâtre & Co. Available at: marek-ocenas.fr/le-theatre-de-marivaux (date of access: 05.03.2022). (In French)
14. Pageaux, D.-H. “Formes nouvelles de la comédie au XVIIIe s.: Marivaux, Goldoni, Lessing”. Littératures, 1992, no. 27, pp. 77–95. (In French)
15. Papadopoulou Brady, V. Love in the Theater of Marivaux. A Study of the factors influencing its Birth, Development and Expression. Geneve, Droz, 1970, 361 p. (In English)
16. Russo, E. “Marivaudages tragiques: Marivaux et Racine”. Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century, 2004, no. 4, pp. 97–108. (In French)
17. Salaün F. “La place des variations dans la dramaturgie de Marivaux”. Op.cit. Revue des littérature et des arts, 2018, no. 19. Available at: https://revue.univ.-pau.fr/op.cit/431 (date of access: 05.03.2022). (In French)