Le Siège de Calais

<p><em>Le Siège de Calais</em> hailed by its author in 1765 as France's 'première tragédie nationale' rolled into Paris like a storm. Pierre-Laurent de Belloy's play about French bravery during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) appeared on the heels of France's defeat in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). <em>Le Siège de Calais</em> was performed throughout Europe and published numerous times during the second half of the eighteenth century. De Belloy emerged as a national hero receiving prizes from Louis XV accolades from the city of Calais and membership to the prestigious <em>Académie française</em>. Since the French Revolution however the popularity of <em>Le Siège de Calais</em> has eclipsed owing to its overt glorification of France's royal machine. Several hundred years later the play warrants a fresh look from a holistic perspective. De Belloy's tragedy and the varied responses it provoked - many of which are included in this edition - offer complex representations of French political history and patriotic sentiment. <em>Le Siège de Calais</em> reveals conflicting images of gender roles political debate and family values during the twilight of the Ancien régime; it also constituted one of the last moments when serious drama asserted its role as a popular force.</p><p>Text in French with introduction and critical apparatus in English.</p>