Pierre Corneille is considered one of France’s greatest dramatists. His long writing career, spanning more than half a century, embraced several dramatic genres, but it is as an outstanding writer of tragedy that (alongside his younger contemporary Racine) he is best known. His reputation down the centuries has been based largely on his “tetralogy” of Le Cid [The Cid], Horace [Horatius], Cinna and Polyeucte [Polyeuctus], a remarkable series of plays first performed when he was aged between thirty and thirty-six. However, scholars and theatre directors, while not disputing the consummate qualities of those …
2692 words
Citation: Howe, Alan. "Pierre Corneille". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 January 2007 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1020, accessed 21 November 2024.]
