La Révolution et les tragédies romaines

Abstract

In the decade between 1730 and 1740, after his return from England and his encounter with Shakespeare, Voltaire proposed a model of political tragedy, of which Brutus and La Mort de César are the manifestation. In these tragedies, the author develops an analysis of absolute monarchy and a republican alternative based on Roman history, with resonances in both France and England. However, he does not propose a republican objective that would resemble the Republic of 1792. The theatrical treatment of ancient Rome gave it a visual incarnation but accentuated the distance of a diversion. These plays were modestly successful and never disappeared until the end of the Ancien Régime, but the Revolution changed their meaning by bringing them up to date: paradoxically, it was by historicising them that Talma gave them their topical power: Rome was no longer a diversion in thought, Rome was Paris. From 1789 onwards, Brutus was everywhere in revolutionary culture, and with him Rome was everywhere. Episodes from the history of republican Rome provided the subject matter for tragedies that were now performed on every stage, not just the Comédie-Française. “Roman” tragedy thus offered a shared experience of thought to a new audience thrown into political action by events.

Keywords

• rewriting
• French Revolution
• tragedy
• Voltaire
• roman history
• neoclassical