The Triple Marriage

Destouches, Néricault, 1680-1754Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.5

Word count: 47K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Triple Marriage by Néricault DestouchesAuthor: Destouches, Néricault, 1680-1754,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Jul 1, 2004

Editor's review

The Triple Marriage is a comedy by the French playwright Destouches, belonging to the line of comedy of manners in the eighteenth-century French theatrical tradition. The play revolves around marriage arrangements and misunderstandings between characters, advancing through verbal wit and situational displacement; it is suitable for observing how the stage of the time handled marriage, family, and individual will. As a public-domain English translation, it is not long and has a clear structure; it can be used to understand the translation and reception of French classical comedy, and is also suitable for theater enthusiasts to read aloud or perform excerpts. When reading, pay attention to how character relationships and misunderstandings layer up, and to the gentle satire of marriage arrangements behind the humor. Reading it alongside background on French theater history will make it easier to appreciate its conventions and appeal.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Enthusiasts of French classical theater and comedy history who want to read a public-domain translation
Theater students who need a short play for scene analysis or performance
Readers interested in eighteenth-century views of marriage and family
English reading learners who want to build theatrical vocabulary with a short play

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting modern psychological realism or strongly plotted fiction
Beginners unfamiliar with the dramatic genre who hope to read narrative stories
Researchers who need detailed annotations and scholarly introductions; the public-domain translation has limited annotations

Reading tips

First sort out a character relationship chart, then read the main text, to avoid losing the thread through confusion over translated names
Choose a scene and read it aloud to experience the rhythm of dialogue and comic pauses
After finishing, review the setup of misunderstandings and mark key turns and moments of disclosure
Combine with background material on French comedy of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to understand its conventions and satirical measure

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What kind of work is The Triple Marriage?

It is a comedy by the French playwright Destouches, belonging to the eighteenth-century French tradition of comedy of manners. The play centers on marriage arrangements and misunderstandings between characters, creating humor through verbal wit and situational displacement; it is suitable for reading or performing as a short play.

Does this edition have annotations and an introduction?

This is the Project Gutenberg public-domain English translation, which usually provides only the main text, with limited scholarly annotations and introduction. If used for research, it is advisable to read it alongside French theater history materials or other annotated editions.

Can I read it without experience in reading drama?

Yes, but it is advisable first to establish a character relationship chart and then read by scene. Comedy relies on dialogue and misunderstanding to advance; reading a scene aloud helps grasp the rhythm. If you are completely unfamiliar with the dramatic genre, you can first read an introduction to reading plays.

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About the author

Destouches, Néricault, 1680-1754 Author · French · 1680–1754

Destouches (Néricault Destouches, 1680–1754) was a French playwright best known for his comedies, and he was elected a member of the Académie française during his lifetime. He worked within the tradition of French classical comedy, drawing on marriage, family, and social life for plots built on misunderstandings and witty dialogue, in a light and often satirical style. His representative work, The Triple Marriage, revolves around courtship and marital relations and shows his skill at constructing intricate plots and creating comic effects through conversation. Public information about the details of his life is limited, and existing accounts rest mainly on his dramatic achievements and his membership in the Académie. His comedies had a certain influence on the French stage of his time and offer a useful reference for later readers seeking to understand the character of eighteenth-century French comedy.