La Diabolisation dans La Guisiade (1589) de Pierre Matthieu et Le Guysien (1592) de Simon Bélyard

Devilish characterization in La Guisiade and Le Guysien can be accounted for by the political commitment of both playwrights as well as the deictic dimension of humanist tragedy. Through their questioning of values, they blacken the character of Henri III, often through slander. The king is blamewor...

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Main Author: Jean-Claude Ternaux
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institut du Monde Anglophone 2008-10-01
Series:Etudes Epistémè
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/719
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author Jean-Claude Ternaux
author_facet Jean-Claude Ternaux
author_sort Jean-Claude Ternaux
collection DOAJ
description Devilish characterization in La Guisiade and Le Guysien can be accounted for by the political commitment of both playwrights as well as the deictic dimension of humanist tragedy. Through their questioning of values, they blacken the character of Henri III, often through slander. The king is blameworthy because he is a tyrant, whose cruelty likens him to the fiercest of animals. Besides, his reign is governed by hypocrisy, and he takes sides with the Huguenots. But the king is also presented as a truly devilish character. The tragedy then resembles the times’ libels and woodcuts. The king’s black minister, the duke of Épernon, urges him to fight against the Catholic League. Even worse, Henri III, as a true disciple of Machiavelli’s, claims he is God.
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spelling doaj-art-b8bb166edd904765a55efd959e8b501b2025-08-20T02:32:42ZengInstitut du Monde AnglophoneEtudes Epistémè1634-04502008-10-011410.4000/episteme.719La Diabolisation dans La Guisiade (1589) de Pierre Matthieu et Le Guysien (1592) de Simon BélyardJean-Claude TernauxDevilish characterization in La Guisiade and Le Guysien can be accounted for by the political commitment of both playwrights as well as the deictic dimension of humanist tragedy. Through their questioning of values, they blacken the character of Henri III, often through slander. The king is blameworthy because he is a tyrant, whose cruelty likens him to the fiercest of animals. Besides, his reign is governed by hypocrisy, and he takes sides with the Huguenots. But the king is also presented as a truly devilish character. The tragedy then resembles the times’ libels and woodcuts. The king’s black minister, the duke of Épernon, urges him to fight against the Catholic League. Even worse, Henri III, as a true disciple of Machiavelli’s, claims he is God.https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/719
spellingShingle Jean-Claude Ternaux
La Diabolisation dans La Guisiade (1589) de Pierre Matthieu et Le Guysien (1592) de Simon Bélyard
Etudes Epistémè
title La Diabolisation dans La Guisiade (1589) de Pierre Matthieu et Le Guysien (1592) de Simon Bélyard
title_full La Diabolisation dans La Guisiade (1589) de Pierre Matthieu et Le Guysien (1592) de Simon Bélyard
title_fullStr La Diabolisation dans La Guisiade (1589) de Pierre Matthieu et Le Guysien (1592) de Simon Bélyard
title_full_unstemmed La Diabolisation dans La Guisiade (1589) de Pierre Matthieu et Le Guysien (1592) de Simon Bélyard
title_short La Diabolisation dans La Guisiade (1589) de Pierre Matthieu et Le Guysien (1592) de Simon Bélyard
title_sort la diabolisation dans la guisiade 1589 de pierre matthieu et le guysien 1592 de simon belyard
url https://journals.openedition.org/episteme/719
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