The  Possibility  of  an  Island,  or  Sylvain  Maréchal's  The Final Judgment over the Kings (1793) Cover Image

La possibilité d’une île, ou le Jugement dernier des rois de Sylvain Maréchal (1793)
The Possibility of an Island, or Sylvain Maréchal's The Final Judgment over the Kings (1793)

Author(s): Paweł Matyaszewski
Subject(s): Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, French Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Art, History of Art, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Keywords: Sylvain Maréchal; theatre; utopia; island; space;

Summary/Abstract: The article covers the analysis of the concept of space in Sylvain Maréchal's play Jugement dernier des rois, written during the French Revolution. The action of the play takes place on an island which serves as a prison, first for the enemies of the monarchy, then for the enemies of the Revolution. The idea of the prison island, a place of punishment and evilness, breaks with an utopian concept of an island being a sanctuary and the source of happiness for a perfect society (Thomas More). It envisages the history of the 19th century and the fortunes of Napoleon at Saint Helena as well as the story of Edmond Dantès presented in a famous novel The Count of Monte Cristo written by Dumas.

  • Issue Year: 2020
  • Issue No: 22
  • Page Range: 71-88
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: French
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