Philippe Néricault Destouches facts for kids
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Philippe Néricault Destouches (born April 9, 1680 – died July 4, 1754) was a famous French writer. He wrote 22 plays, mostly comedies. He wanted to bring back a style of comedy that focused on different types of people and their personalities.
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About Philippe Destouches
Philippe Destouches was born in a city called Tours, in France.
When he was 19, he started working as a secretary. He helped M. de Puysieux, who was the French ambassador to Switzerland. Later, in 1716, he moved to London. He worked at the French embassy there for six years.
He married a lady from England named Dorothea Johnston. For some years, their marriage was kept private. In 1727, he wrote a play called Le Philosophe Marié (The Married Philosopher). This play was inspired by his own life at home.
After his time in London, Destouches returned to France in 1723. He was chosen to join the Académie française. This is a very important group that looks after the French language. In 1727, he bought a lot of land. Owning this land gave him special noble rights.
He spent his later years at his large home called Fortoiseau. This home was near a town called Melun. He passed away on July 4, 1754.
Destouches wanted to write comedies that showed different kinds of people. He also believed his plays should teach a clear lesson.
Famous Plays by Destouches
Destouches wrote many plays throughout his life.
Early Comedies
Some of his first comedies include:
- Le Curieux Impertinent (1710)
- L'Ingrat (1712)
- L'Irrésolu (1713)
- Le Médisant (1715)
- La Fausse Veuve (1715)
- Le Triple Mariage (1716)
- L'Obstacle Imprévu (1717)
One of the most well-known early plays is L'Irrésolu (The Irresolute Man). In this play, a character named Dorante can't decide who to marry. He finally chooses Julie, but then wonders if he should have married Climène instead.
Later Works
After working in diplomacy for eleven years, Destouches started writing plays again in 1727.
- Le Philosophe Marié (1727)
- Les Philosophes Amoureux (1730)
- Le Glorieux (1732)
Le Glorieux showed the conflict between old noble families and new rich people. These new rich people found chances to get wealthy when France was struggling.
He then wrote more plays:
- La Pupille (1734)
- L'Ambitieux et l'Indiscrète (1737)
- Les Dehor Trompeurs (1740)
- La Belle Orgueilleuse (1741)
- L'Amour Use (1741)
- Les Amours de Ragonde (1742)
His last comedies were:
- La Force du Naturel (1750)
- Le Jeune Homme á l'Épreuve (1751)
- Le Dissipateur (1753)
Some of his plays were performed after he died:
- La Fausse Agnès (1759)
- Le Tambour Nocturne (1762)
- L'Homme Singulier (1764) – This was his very last play.
Memorable Sayings
Destouches is known for a famous quote from his 1717 play, L'Obstacle Imprévu. The saying is: “The absent are always in the wrong.” This means that if someone isn't there, they often get blamed.
Another quote from his play "Le Glorieux" is: "To critic is easy, only the art is difficult." This means it's simple to find fault, but creating something is much harder.
