Des feuilletons de Geoffroy au Cours de littérature dramatique (1800-1825)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the editorial shift from the theatrical “feuilletons” by Julien-Louis Geoffroy, the famous dramatic critic, which were issued in the Journal des Débats/Journal de l’Empire between 1800 and 1814, to the Cours de littérature dramatique, a collection of most of his reviews published after his death, in 1819 (first edition) then 1825. This anthology gives a glimpse into the evolutions of play-acting, dramatic genres and topics during the Napoleonic era. It reads like a palimpsest of plays through which the reader, from the Restoration onwards, could access a wide range of knowledge from the Ancients to Geoffroy’s time, including the Enlightenment and the French Revolution that he despised and debunked as a conservative, although he could also appreciate contemporary plays and trends.