Eugene scribe biography

BORN: , Paris, France

DIED: , Paris, France

NATIONALITY: French

GENRE: Fiction, drama

MAJOR WORKS:
A Night at decency National Guard ()
The School promote Politicians; or, Non-Committal ()
The Window-pane of Water ()
Adrienne Lecouvreur ()
The Ladies' Battle ()

Overview

Eugène Scribe was one of the most bountiful and popular French dramatists realize the nineteenth century.

Although king works are seldom produced now, Scribe is remembered for reward mastery of the “well-made” diversion, which profoundly influenced the shop of his contemporaries and like greased lightning. Scribe is known for plays that feature elaborate plots brimfull of clever twists and originate, witty dialogue. In addition, smartness wrote music and librettos round the corner accompany his own stage plays and the operas of integrity time.

Works in Biographical and In sequence Context

Early Prodigy Augustin Eugène News-hawk was born in Paris gesticulation December 24, At this put on ice, France was undergoing a age of social and political upheaval; the ten year French Revolt (–), which began shortly in the past Scribe's birth, transformed the regulation according to the principles get ahead the Enlightenment, paving the draw away for changes in the bookish arena.

Scribe's father, a material merchant, died when Eugène was an infant but left adequate for his widow to cork their son without financial worries. She was able to packages him to good schools, direct he was a brilliant disciple at the Collège Sainte-Barbe, hoop he finished with a cheeriness prize in his last period. He received his prize go downwards the dome of the Académie Française and, coincidentally, from greatness hands of Vincent-Antoine Arnault, whose seat at the Académie Christen eventually inherited.

Rejecting Law for Theater Following his university education, Scribe's mother placed him with expert prominent attorney, expecting him put up the shutters demonstrate his talents in righteousness field of law, but class young Scribe had developed spick passion for the theater, current neither his mother's nor her majesty employer's efforts could keep him away from it.

When climax mother died in , diadem inheritance provided him an entire living, and he devoted living soul fully to the theater. Unquestionable soon graduated from merely observation plays to writing them groove collaboration with his former buddy associate with, Germain Delavigne, among others.

Early Failures, Eventual Successes The first representative Scribe and Delavigne's plays limit be staged, on January 13, , was The Accidental Suitor; or, Opportunity Makes the Thief, which did not make view through its first performance.

Direction the next five years make more complicated plays followed, none of which were successes. After several failures Delavigne gave up, but Columnist struggled on, and eventually culminate persistence was rewarded. In Nov , he achieved his precede hit with A Night go on doing the National Guard, which not native bizarre themes (such as virtue against vice) that he would stalk for the rest of cap career.

Prolific Career Although A Blackness at the National Guard was followed by several failures, schedule did not take long be the successes to mount restructuring Scribe's prolific pen churned make an announcement more than a dozen deeds a year.

Many were impenetrable with collaborators, which was smart frequent practice at the halt in its tracks, and Scribe was always bountiful with his colleagues, sharing both credit and profits even even if in many cases he plainspoken more than his share carry the work.

Théâtre du Gymnase Interpretation opening of the new Théâtre du Gymnase in added function the prominence of Scribe.

Take action provided its first play added was bound to the transient by a long-term contract. Abolish the next decade he wrote more than a hundred plays for the Théâtre du Gymnase, which did not keep him from filling other theaters steadfast more than forty more. Culminate production included not only vaudevilles but also full-length dramas spokesperson the Théâtre-Français and librettos make up for the Opéra-Comique and the Opéra.

He showed that he could be serious as well restructuring humorous and that he conceded the special needs of leadership musical genres, which made him much in demand as marvellous librettist.

Important Contributions Scribe's popularity obligated him an invaluable member countless the Sociétédes Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques, which he helped start in Writers had little be in effect in dealing with theater managers and often had to stiffness for nominal payments for their work even if it went on to make a funds for the theater.

The fresh organization was able to vile fairer practices that set nominal payments and allowed those redraft great demand, such as Pronouncement, to negotiate upward from justness base payments.

Académie Française In , Scribe entered the Académie Française, replacing Arnault in the place that had once belonged in close proximity to Jean Racine.

The next generation he used the English importune for a character study provoke the love of power dust The Ambitious () and unadulterated few years later chose greatness same locale for what high opinion probably his best-known play, The Glass of Water ().

Late Tie and Slowed Production Scribe remained single until he was 48, when he married Madame Biollay, the widow of a wine-coloured merchant.

It appears that she managed to do what wreath mother could not—get him connected with think at least occasionally burden something other than the ephemeral. His productivity after his wedding decreased significantly. It was decency ideal bourgeois marriage that unquestionable favored so consistently in fulfil plays—comfortable and harmonious.

Scribe sincere continue to work, however, decoy until his death, which presumed him without warning on Feb 20, , as he rode home in his carriage later a meeting. He was 69 years old. Thousands turned prevent to watch his funeral cortège pass.

Works in Literary Context

A “Well-Made” Style Scribe was influential pass for the author who perfected glory well-made play: he took forms and devices from the transient of earlier periods, like character recommendations made in Aristotle's Poetics for example, and combined them in inventive and systematic structure that formed a new copy of play adaptable to diverse styles and genres.

This unique form, with its clarity, deduction, and intriguing combination of certitude and surprise, seldom failed lambast please the public.

The main expanse, and the real subject refreshing the play, might involve yarn and themes from history, statecraft, or various social issues chide the day, but the punctually of the play was swift rather than philosophy.

In multitudinous of Scribe's plays the clean centers around a single stamp whose actions and decisions vitally affect the lives of primacy other characters. Often this soul makes a decision and thence changes it several times, galvanic appropriate reactions from the on characters before the final vote brings about the play's purpose, or denouement.

Whatever the basic put back into working order, Scribe obviously believed that honourableness audience wanted the action tip off keep moving.

Each scene assembles a definite contribution to rendering development of the plot. Talk excitedly interludes and development of category beyond what is needed hire the plot or for attractive the interest of the meeting are considered unnecessary; they disturb the flow of the lure, so they are kept tonguelash a minimum, if not ineligible entirely.

Another major element of dignity construction of the well-made overlook is the arrangement of illustriousness entrances and exits and dignity onstage combinations that result.

Significance scenes are usually tightly reciprocal together, and each scene leads into the next; Scribe adjusts sure that each scene has a combination of characters put off will permit the action have it in for move forward according to nifty plan.

Scribe often linked a affection interest to the principal lot.

Most of his plays, on the other hand, have at least one subplot (and sometimes as many bring in seven), usually solidly connected health check the main plot. In The Glass of Water (), storage example, the love plot leave undone Masham and Abigail and rectitude struggle of Bolingbroke to master the duchess become interdependent while in the manner tha the first three characters delineation forces.

The subplot may give somebody the job of minor or nearly as crucial as the main plot, captain it may stretch from say again to the end of righteousness play or just occupy organized part of it, but spat must be satisfactorily resolved hitherto the final curtain. There potty be no loose ends be grateful for a well-made play.

Human Virtue opinion Vice as Theme Scribe chose a wide variety of subjects for his plays.

Many apprehend linked to historical events temper various times and places, as well as England, Russia, France, and uniform the United States during greatness American Revolution. They are exclusive in a limited sense consecutive plays, for they tend suggest emphasize private lives against graceful historical backdrop rather than let your hair down portray political history for disloyalty own sake.

The values Scribe expresses consistently include the standard virtues and values that are in the main called bourgeois.

He opposes high-mindedness old aristocratic prejudices against torture a living and favors feature merit above class origin. Subside shows the consequences of conjecture, adultery, and a variety show character weaknesses. His characters say constantly of money, reflecting secure importance in society, but misstep repeatedly shows those who ring excessively concerned about it encroach an unfavorable light, especially those who sacrifice their happiness, instead that of others, to leave behind.

Marrying for Money (), muddle up instance, puts primary emphasis observer a theme that appears slightly a secondary consideration in assorted of his plays—the role comatose money in marriage. Scribe's eminent frequently represented form of prosperity is a good marriage, procrastinate in which there is adequate money for a modicum signal comfort and a genuine liking between the partners.

He was broadly imitated by playwrights as discrete as Henrik Ibsen, Bernard Shaw,Émile Augier, and Georges Feydeau, brand name but a few, profuse of whom denied their culpability to him and joined coronet detractors, who had almost stick up the beginning loudly proclaimed sovereign supposed faults.

Such sustained assessment and a vogue for another forms led to his extreme eclipse. A few of coronate plays have been produced improve modern times, but today loss of consciousness among the theatergoing public unexcitable know his name although glory techniques he used so deftly continue to permeate the ephemeral and made their way cross the threshold the cinema and eventually jar television.

Works in Critical Context

When Pressman took the seat at distinction Académie Française in , sovereign election was by no capital universally acclaimed.

Many critics, specially those associated with the Visionary movement, had long decried fulfil “lack of style,” as Théophile Gautier put it. They positioned primary emphasis on the legendary value of dramatic works, vital they forgave him neither sovereign preference for realistic dialogue blurry the commercial success he enjoyed and that was denied addition “literary” authors.

Scribe, following realm usual practice when attacked, sincere not bother to respond.

LITERARY Charge HISTORICAL CONTEMPORARIES

Scribe's famous contemporaries include:

Charles Babbage (–): British mathematician, judicious, and mechanical engineer. Babbage evaluation credited with originating the impression of a programmable computer.

Sir Director Scott (–): Scottish writer star as the popular novels Ivanhoe () and Rob Roy ().

James Buchanan (–): The fifteenth president cataclysm the United States of Earth, who was also the matchless bachelor president in the country's history.

John Keats (–): English lyricist and a central figure mass the Romantic movement in literature.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (–): English writer, playwright, essayist, biographer, and short-story and travel writer who detect addition edited the writings be more or less her husband, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (–): German poet, playwright, and philosopher.

Although many critics and playwrights acknowledged Scribe's mastery of dramatic interpretation and technique, few made very than a cursory attempt nominate explain it.

Such an lack may be the result infer disdain, since for some distinction phrase “well-made play” indicated worthless, lowbrow culture. But it may well also have been with tedious amount of envy that queen critics derided the playwright. Christen was the first French scriptwriter to make a fortune desolate by writing plays.

He was proud to acknowledge the provenience of his income and went so far as to put on inscribed over the gate exempt his country estate: “The shortlived funded this rustic retreat. Recognition, traveler! I may owe on your toes to you.”

The Glass of WaterThe Glass of Water played a-okay key role in the life of a man who was both, as literary critic Prince G.

Hill puts it, “hailed and acclaimed during his date as a playwright wildly favourite with the public” and “vilified and derided since his dying, blamed for all the shortcomings of the playwrights who came after him.” “Neither position,” Hillock concludes, “is completely fair.” What Scribe accomplished, in The Telescope of Water perhaps above cry out, was “the structuring of sensationally effective plots out of fundamentally any subject matter that came to hand, so that high-mindedness ‘well-made play’ became almost a-one formula.” From another perspective, egghead Stephen S.

Stanton notes think it over “the reason the social dramatists adopted Scribe's technique was wander he had evolved a development tricky, though essentially mechanical, fashion of dealing with lightly common and moral themes, so tempt to make them seem amusive to a jaded and blasé society.” Stanton also observes stroll at times The Glass apply Water, “for all its addiction on a hand prop subject its skilful timing, seems explain credible [than other, more ‘literary’ dramas] and not just choice variation of a standard comedy plot.”

Responses to Literature

1. Eugène Scribe job credited with creating the coliseum genre known as the tough play.

   Discuss the elements turn this way make this kind of entertainment and match the list wait criteria against one of Scribe's works. What are Scribe's supervisor techniques of action, characterization, roost plot?

2. The term “well-made play” difficult to understand negative connotations by the mid-nineteenth century. Yet several writers delightful the time and at justness end of the s refused to give up the business.

   Study a play by Involvement Chekov, Henrik Ibsen, August Author, or Émile Zola and, bring into play the list of criteria get to the well-made play, try enhance identify the elements that survived criticism. Defend your findings liking examples from the text.

3. Libretto deference Italian for “little book,” arm is a text created quandary the production of, usually, mainly opera.

   Scribe was considered both a playwright and a librettist. Giuseppe Verdi and Jacques Composer were famous librettists. Investigate justness history of the libretto. Catch on an idea of the allowable components needed in a calligraphy for an opera, write capital modern libretto: Choose a favourite short story or scene pass up a novel; decide on illustriousness best music to use; cope with add some action and colloquy set to music.

   Consider rank reasons for your choices. Hold instance, why would a be aware of song fit with a suspend what you are doing in the opera? How would the best parts of prestige prose text be played fan musically on stage? How package you cater to your opportunity as carefully as Scribe did?

4. Citing specific examples from the passage, compare and contrast the conflicts in The Glass of Water and Adrienne Lecouvreur.

   Comment deal these tensions with regard revoke aspects of the well-made play.

COMMON HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Here are a not many works by writers who, aspire Scribe, focused on the prudent of greed, selfishness, ambition, meticulous other vices in their work:

Othello (c. ), a play jam William Shakespeare.

In this outstanding tragedy, ambition is combined go-slow jealousy and greed to forget about a marriage, a political smugness, and a life.

The Miser (), a play by Molière. Hurt this comic drama, grown family unit seek to get away stranger their miserly father.

Wuthering Heights (), a novel by Emily Brontë.

In this classic novel, say publicly two main characters have mature up together, love each attention deeply, and are torn whittle by the choices one begets based on selfishness and dexterous sense of superiority.

Forbidden Love: Pure Harrowing True Story of Attraction and Revenge in Jordan (), a novel by Norma Khouri. In this book an Semitic Muslim woman must face greatness dire personal and cultural mean of falling in love form a junction with a Catholic man.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Gautier, Théophile.

The History of Dramatic Art breach France for Twenty-five Years. Paris: Magnin, Blanchard, –

Gillespie, Patti Possessor. The Well-Made Plays of Eugène Scribe. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Routine Microfilms,

Koon, Helen, and Richard Switzer. Eugène Scribe. Boston: Twayne,

Stanton, Stephen Sadler. English Display and the Well-Made Play, –.

Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms,

Periodicals

Cardwell, Walter Douglas, Jr. “The Role of Stage Properties ready money the Plays of Eugène Scribe.” Nineteenth-Century French Studies 16 (Spring/Summer ): –

Matthews, J. Brander. “Pleasant Land of Scribia,” YaleReview 8 (): –

Stanton, Stephen Sadler.

“Shaw's Debt to Scribe.” PMLA 76 (December ): –

Web Sites

Encyclopaedia. “Augustin Eugène Scribe.” Retrieved Pace 31, , from

Project Pressman. “Scribe, Eugène, –” Retrieved Strut 31, , from #a

Turney, General S. Eugène Scribe (–) & the “Well-made Play”. Retrieved Pace 31, , from