Robert Garnier facts for kids
Robert Garnier (born in 1544 – died September 20, 1590) was a famous French poet and playwright. He started writing when he was still a law student in Toulouse. In 1565, he even won a prize there for his poems. His first book of poems, called Plaintes amoureuses de Robert Garnier, is now lost.
After studying law, he worked as a lawyer in Paris. Later, he became an important judge in his home region of Le Maine. People knew him as a great speaker. Robert Garnier was a respected judge who used his free time to write. People during his time really admired his poetry.
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Robert Garnier's Early Plays
In his first plays, Robert Garnier followed the style of the Roman writer Seneca. These early plays were mostly long, fancy speeches with songs from a chorus. There wasn't much action happening on stage.
Some of these plays include Porcie (published in 1568), Cornélie, and Hippolyte (both from 1573). In Porcie, characters like Cassius, Brutus, and Porcia die, but their deaths are only talked about, not shown. Only a nurse is allowed to die on stage.
New Directions in His Plays
Later, Robert Garnier's plays started to change. His next group of tragedies, like Marc-Antoine (1578), La Troade (1579), and Antigone ou la Piété (1580), showed more action. Even though they still had a lot of speeches, they combined different parts to create more movement. In 1592, The Countess of Pembroke even wrote an English version of Garnier's play Marc-Antoine.
His Most Famous Works
In 1582 and 1583, Garnier created his two best plays: Bradamante and Les Juives.
- Bradamante
This play was different because it didn't have a chorus. Garnier got his ideas for Bradamante from the Italian poet Ariosto. This play became known as a tragicomedy, a type of play that mixes sad and funny parts. Even though the main characters, Bradamante and Roger, never meet on stage, the story is still very dramatic. Roger's inner struggles make the play exciting, similar to the plays of the later French writer Corneille.
- Les Juives
Les Juives (meaning "The Jewish Women") tells the sad story of how King Nebuchadnezzar treated the Jewish king Zedekiah and his children. The Jewish women in the play mourn their children's fate. This tragedy is very well-designed and powerful. Some critics say it's one of the best French tragedies from the 16th and 17th centuries, showing that Garnier thought about how his plays would look on stage.
Garnier's Lasting Impact
Robert Garnier is seen as the most important French tragic poet of the Renaissance period. He also helped shape the style of theater that came after him in the 17th century. His work had a big impact on Elizabethan tragedy in England. For example, Thomas Kyd likely translated Garnier's play Cornélie into English in the early 1590s.
Dramatic works
- Porcie, tragedy, Paris, Robert Estienne, 1568
- Hippolyte, tragedy, Paris, Robert Estienne, 1573
- Cornélie, tragedy, Paris, Robert Estienne, 1574
- Marc-Antoine, tragedy, Paris, M. Patisson, 1578
- La Troade, tragedy, Paris, M. Patisson, 1579
- Antigone ou la Piété, tragedy, Paris, M. Patisson, 1580
- Bradamante, tragicomedy, Paris, M. Patisson, 1582
- Les Juives, tragedy, Paris, M. Patisson, 1583
See also
In Spanish: Robert Garnier para niños
