French Literature Reviews - 2026

Voltaire's Tragedies Reflected in Their Dramatic Parodies
Theatre and Performance

Announcement of the publication of the book by Isabelle Degauque (University of Nantes):

Les Tragédies de Voltaire au regard de leurs parodies dramatiques, D'Oedipe (1718) à Tancrède (1760)

coll. Les Dix-Huitièmes siècles, edited by Raymond Trousson and Antony McKenna, no. 104, Paris, Honoré Champion, 2007, 496 pages, 87 euros, ISBN: 9782745314420

The study of parodies of Voltaire's tragedies is part of a recent movement to rehabilitate parody, long dismissed as a parasitic and malicious genre. Given Voltaire's unprecedentedly long theatrical career (1718–1778), his forced companionship with both fairground and Italian parodists provides invaluable insight for evaluating classical dramaturgy and theatrical reception. Always aiming to entertain, parodic critique relies on recurring aesthetic strategies. For instance, numerous dramatic parodies make extensive use of music—a surefire way to build rapport with the audience while breaking the illusion of reality. Condemned by Voltaire or heavily restricted by wary theorists, dramatic parody caused unease and seemed defined by a subversive potential that threatened literary or political authorities. Yet, it remained firmly committed to achieving consensus with the public. Its relationship with literary norms reveals the genre's ideological ambiguity: while the parodists themselves introduced a novel approach to staging, they exhibited a surprising resurgence of classical canons whenever they tackled Voltaire's theatrical boldness. The playwright's two major innovations—pathos and philosophical theater—were perceived as a drift toward spectacle that degraded the tragic genre, and toward didactic theater that distorted the pleasure of performance. Ultimately, these parodies serve as a touchstone for measuring both the limitations of Voltaire's theater and the seeds of its modernity.

The practice of parody in the eighteenth century often functioned as a critical mirror to the dominant theatrical forms of the era. While traditional literary hierarchies frequently marginalized these works as mere imitations, contemporary scholarship increasingly recognizes their role in shaping the reception of high-status genres like tragedy. This study examines the interplay between Voltaire's dramatic output and the parodic responses it inspired, highlighting the tensions inherent in a period characterized by both adherence to classical canons and a growing appetite for spectacle and musical innovation in the theater.

The parodies of Voltaire's tragedies illustrate the complex relationship between established literary norms and the potential of popular performance. By addressing the use of music and the critique of Voltaire's innovations in pathos and philosophical theater, the work examines how parodists engaged with the perceived degradation of the tragic genre. These adaptations reveal the ideological ambiguity of the period, as they simultaneously challenged authority and sought consensus with the public. Readers interested in the history of eighteenth-century French dramaturgy and the evolution of theatrical reception may find this analysis of the parodic tradition relevant.