Adélaïde du Guesclin

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Data
Title: Adélaïde du Guesclin
Genus: tragedy
Original language: French
Author: Voltaire
Publishing year: 1765
Premiere: On January 18, 1734 in the Comédie-Française
Place of premiere: Paris
people
  • Le Duc de Vendôme
  • Le Duc de Nemours
  • Le Sire de Coucy
  • Adélaïde du Guesclin
  • Taïse d'Anglure
  • D'Angeste , a confidante of Nemours
  • An officer
  • A guard
  • & c
Jean-Michel Moreau : Illustration for the Adélaïde du Guesclin by Jean-Michel Moreau, 1785

Adélaïde du Guesclin is a tragedy in five acts and in verse by Voltaire from 1734, which only became a success when it was resumed after 31 years.

action

The action takes place in Lille, which is occupied by the English and besieged by the French . Nemours, supporter of the Dauphin of France, and that of the Duc de Vendôme, allied with the English, are brothers at war. The Duc de Vendôme, ruler of Lille, has allied himself with the English and is hoping for the French throne. The Duc de Vendôme wants to marry Adélaïde du Guesclin. Adélaïde, however, loves the Duc de Nemours and stands by France. When Nemours, who commands the besiegers, is wounded and taken captive by the English after a battle, the jealous Vendôme wants his brother and rival to be killed by his henchman Coucy, who also loves Adélaïde. To be on the safe side, an officer is also given the task of killing. The faithful Coucy can kill the officer and brings Nemours and Adélaïde before the repentant Vendôme. After the reconciliation, Nemours marries Adélaïde and Vendôme submits to the Dauphin.

Literary source and biographical references

With the Adélaïde du Guesclin , Voltaire brought material from French history to the stage for the first time, which he had taken from L'histoire de Bretagne by Gui Alexis Lobineau. Voltaire could not get over the failure and wrote in Berlin 1751-1752, three more versions of the play with changed locations and renamed roles: Amélie ou le Duc de Foix , Le Duc d'Alençon ou les Frères ennemis and Alamire .

Performances and contemporary reception

The tragedy premiered on January 18, 1734 in the Comédie-Française, but was removed from the program after only eleven performances when there was little interest. On the other hand, the re-performance of the Adélaïde du Guesclin operated by Lekain on September 9, 1765 was an extraordinary success.

Going to press

Voltaire left the manuscript unprinted in 1734. Lekain arranged for the widow Dûchesne to print it in 1765, which was followed by numerous reprints in the same year.

First editions

  • Adélaïde du Guesclin, tragédie représentée pour la première fois le 18 janvier 1734 et remise au théâtre le 9 septembte 1765. Donné au public par M. Lekain, comédien ordinaire du Roi , Veuve Duchesne, Paris, 1765, 8 °, (VI), 72 pp. [1]
  • Adélaïde du Guesclin, tragédie représentée pour la première fois le 18 janvier 1734 et remise au théâtre le 9 septembte 1765. Donné au public par M. Lekain, comédien ordinaire du Roi , Veuve Duchesne, Paris, 1765, 8 °, 80 pp.
  • Adélaïde du Guesclin, tragédie représentée pour la première fois le 18 janvier 1734 et remise au théâtre le 9 septembte 1765. Donné au public par M. Lekain, comédien ordinaire du Roi , Veuve Duchesne, Paris, 1765, 8 °, 60 pp.
  • Adélaïde du Guesclin, tragédie représentée pour la première fois le 18 janvier 1734 et remise au théâtre le 9 septembte 1765. Donné au public par M. Lekain, comédien ordinaire du Roi. Nouvelle édition à laquelle on a joint deux lettres de l'auteur. , Veuve Duchesne, Paris, 1766, 8 °, (VI), 72, (IV) S.

literature

  • Manuel Couvreur: Adélaïde du Guesclin, in: Dictionnaire Voltaire, Hachette Livre, 1994, p. 15 f.
  • Siegfried Detemple: Adélaïde du Guesclin, in: Voltaire: The works. 300th birthday catalog. Reichert, Wiesbaden 1994, p. 162 ff.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Siegfried Detemple: Adélaïde du Guesclin, in: Voltaire: The works. 300th birthday catalog. Reichert, Wiesbaden 1994, p. 162 ff.