The Actor and the Statue: Space, Time, and Court Performance in Molière's Dom Juan

Authors

Michael Spingler, Clark University

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, the first paragraph of the essay follows:

In Dom Juan, Molière inscribes the organized world of seventeenth-century French court life within a dramatic space which reflects the relationship between theatrical and social performance. In what follows, I will focus on how Molière's handling of the play's scenic structure questions the codes which govern life at court. Considered from the point of view of the actor's location and movement on stage, Dom Juan is an interrogation of the court's attempt to adjust the perception of time and space to its own needs, in particular the need to transform history into a repeatable script. The way Molière incorporates the spatial and temporal consciousness of the courtier into Dom Juan is at the heart of his critical representation of the court as a constructed performance which relies excessively on theatrical self-presentation.

Recommended Citation

Spingler, Michael (1991) "The Actor and the Statue: Space, Time, and Court Performance in Molière's Dom Juan," Comparative Drama: Vol. 25: Iss. 4, Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol25/iss4/3