Querelle de la moralité du théâtre en Angleterre
Dates 1697 - 1708
Fiche rédigée par Alexis Tadié . Dernière mise à jour le 24 December 2014.
Synopsis
Synopsis
Cette querelle se situe dans le contexte d’un large débat sur la morale publique, sur le caractère profane de la langue, sur les conduites scandaleuses, provoqué en partie par la révolution de 1688 : le théâtre est en première ligne car la « comédie de la Restauration » livre des exemples de tels comportements. En 1697, le lord Chamberlain se prononce contre l’immoralité du théâtre (‘Prophaneness and Immorality’). Pour l’évêque Collier, le théâtre représente l’état du pays après le départ de James II. Son premier traité initie un large débat auquel répondent divers dramaturges, tels que Congreve, Vanbrugh, D’Urfey, Motteux et quelques critiques comme John Dennis, et lui-même publie six contributions à cette querelle. Le théâtre se doit, selon lui, de promouvoir la vertu. En 1708, Collier ne fait plus que répéter les mêmes arguments. Cette querelle est importante parce qu’elle prépare la voie à la comédie sentimentale du XVIIIe siècle, incarnée en particulier par Richard Steele. On notera que Motteux et Ridpath reprennent les textes de Caffaro et Bossuet.
Enjeux
Enjeux
Aucun enjeux n'a été publié pour cette querelle.
Chronologie
Chronologie
1697-1708 [Pour le détail de la chronologie, se reporter à la bibliographie.]
Noms propres
Noms propres
Références
Références
Corpus
• Anon., The Stage acquitted : being a full answer to Mr. Collier, and the other enemies of the drama, London, Printed for John Barnes, 1699.
• Collier, Jeremy, A Defence of the ‘Short View of the Profaneness and Immorality of the English Stage’ &c. Being a reply to Mr. Congreve's Amendments, &c. and to the Vindication of the author of the Relapse [i.e. Sir John Vanbrugh], London, S. Keble, R. Sare, H. Hindmarsh, 1699.
• Collier, Jeremy, A Further Vindication of the ‘Short View’ … in which the Objections of ‘A Defence of Plays’ are Considered, London, 1708.
• Collier, Jeremy, A Letter to a Lady Concerning the New Playhouse, London, Joseph Downing, 1708.
• Collier, Jeremy, A Second Defence of the ‘Short View of the Profaneness and Immorality of the English Stage’ &c. Being a reply to a book [by James Drake], entituled The Ancient and Modern Stages surveyed, &c, London, S. Keble, R. Sare, G. Strahan, 1700.
• Collier, Jeremy, A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage, together with the Sense of Antiquity upon this Argument, London, S. Keble, 1698.
• Collier, Jeremy, Maxims and reflections upon plays (In answer to a discourse, Of the lawfulness of plays. Printed before a late play entituled, Beauty in distress.) Written in French by the Bp. of Meaux. And now made English. The preface by another hand, London, Printed for R. Sare, 1699.
• Collier, Jeremy, Mr Collier's Dissuasive from the Playhouse, in a Letter to a Person of Quality, London, 1703.
• Congreve, William, Amendments of Mr. Collier’s False and Imperfect Citations, London, 1698.
• Dennis, John, The Usefulness of the Stage, to the Happiness of Mankind, to Government, and to Religion. Occasioned by a Late, Book Written by Jeremy Collier, M.A., London, Printed for R. Parker, 1698.
• Drake, James, Antient and Modern Stages Survey'd, or, Mr. Collier's view of the immorality and profaness of the English stage set in a true light : wherein some of Mr. Collier's mistakes are rectified, and the comparative morality of the English stage is asserted upon the parallel, London, Printed for Abel Roper, 1699.
• Filmer, Edward, A Defence of Plays, or, The Stage Vindicated, from several passages in Mr. Collier's Short view, &c. Wherein is offer'd the most probable method of reforming our plays, London 1707.
• Motteux, Peter, Preface to Beauty in Distress, London, Printed for Daniel Brown, 1698.
• Oldmixon, John, Reflections on the Stage, and Mr.Collyer's Defence of the Short View, in Four Dialogues, London, Printed for R. Parker, 1699.
• Ridpath, George, The Stage Condemn'd, London: Printed for John Salusbury ..., 1698.
• Vanbrugh, John, A Short Vindication of the Relapse and the Provok’d Wife, London, 1698.
Bibliographie critique
• Anthony, Rose, The Jeremy Collier stage controversy, 1698–1726, Milwaukee, 1937.
• Freeman, Lisa, « Jeremy Collier and the Politics of Representation », Players, Playwrights, Playhouses: Investigating Performance, 1660-1800, eds. Peter Holland and Michael Cordner, London, Palgrave/Macmillan, 2007, p. 135-151.
• Hopes, Jeffrey, « Politics And Morality In The Writings Of Jeremy Collier », Literature and History, 8 (1978 : Autumn), p. 159-174.
• Marsden, Jean, « Female Spectatorship, Jeremy Collier and the Anti-Theatrical Debate », ELH, Vol. 65, No. 4 (Winter, 1998), pp. 877-898 .
Liens
Liens
Liens vers d'autres querelles associées
Moralité du théâtre en France (Querelle de la)
Caffaro vs Bossuet
