Voltaire - Théâtre de Voltaire - 1809

Fascinating set in nine volumes bringing together all the tragedies, comedies, historical dramas and philosophical plays that made its author one of the greatest French dramatists of the 18th century - This vast collection traces the evolution of his dramatic work and highlights his ambition to renew classical theatre while turning the stage into an instrument of moral, political and philosophical reflection - Inspired by the models of Corneille, Racine and ancient theatre, Voltaire respects the essential principles of classicism, notably the unity of action, the nobility of style and the pursuit of verisimilitude, but he enriches these rules with a new dramatic intensity, a heightened interest in psychological conflicts and a constant will to address the great questions of his time - The tragedies gathered in this edition, among which Oedipus, Zaïre, Alzire or the Americans, Mérope, Mahomet or Fanaticism, The Death of Caesar, Brutus, Tancrède, Sémiramis, The Orphan of China and many others, explore the themes of love, duty, honor, power, justice, freedom, religious tolerance, tyranny and destiny - Through historical, biblical, ancient or exotic characters, Voltaire stages the moral dilemmas faced by individuals when their feelings clash with their political, familial or religious obligations - Voltaire - Théâtre de Voltaire - 1809 - Tome I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX - Antoine-Augustin Renouard - 380 to 551 pages each Good condition of bindings, volumes in their full original morocco leather, rubbing from use, some minor defects on boards and spine, slight leather loss at the bottom of the spine of volume 5, occasional chafing to certain headpieces, joints and corners worn, marbled edges, smooth spine adorned, gilded titles and volume numbers on red and green morocco pieces - Good interior condition, some stains, nice vignette on the title page, clean text, marbled endpapers in good condition, a pleasant set - Delivery service available within a few days -

Estimate:£190.37

View all items fromCatawikiorBooks, Maps & Manuscripts