La tragédie d’espionnage dans le contexte européen du Directoire et du Consulat

Abstract

During The French Consulat, the successful tragedy Blanche et Montcassin ou Les Vénitiens (1798) by citizen Arnault is a sign of renewal of the political conspiracy theatre. It is due to a new topic we may called “the spy tragedy”. In this topic we can find the originality of the subject, the word “spy” itself introduced for the first time in the tragical French language, the ambiguity of hero and characters and an ordinary plot. All of these define a new kind of conspiracy tragedy after Cinna by Corneille (1642) and after the traditional structure: oath of the conspirators, then murder’s preparations, finally murder’s achievement or murder’s failure. Arnault changed the classical point of view: the scene takes place after the conspiracy and not before. The play is a sequel story of Venice conspiracy plays which are many in this time as Venice preserved by Otway (1682). It reveals the social consequences of global contemporary conspiracy and fear of the enemy within. Arnault wanted to show the international and diplomatic news, in which he took part. Therefore, he broke the rules of tragedy and created a new literary movement about secret political clashes, fatal more or less for families.