Jean Rotrou

Jean Rotrou ( born August 21, 1609 Dreux, † June 28, 1650 in Dreux ) was a French poet and dramatist.

Life

Rotrou was born in Dreux and studied in his native city and in Paris. Although he was three years younger than Pierre Corneille, he began his writing career sooner than he did. 1631 appeared his first play L' hypocondriaque, which was dedicated to the Duke of Soissons. From 1632 he was hired as a writer who wrote for the actors of the Hôtel de Bourgogne. His second piece, La Bague de l' oubli (1635 ), partly an adaptation of La sortija del olvido of Lope de Vega, introduced in France a number of comedies, the Spanish models were modeled. During this time he frequently stayed at Le Mans in his patron de Belin on, who distinguished himself in the battle of Le Cid as an opponent of Corneille. 1636 translated Rotrou Amphitruo of Plautus under the title Les Deux Sosies. 1637 died de Belin, 1639 Rotrou bought the post of local magistrates in Dreux and married in it.

In the 1640s Rotrou wrote four of his most successful plays: Le Veritable Saint Genest (listed in 1646, printed 1648), a Christian martyr; the tragicomedy Don Bertrand de Cabrère (1647 ); Venceslas (1647, printed 1648), considered his masterpiece in France; and Cosroès ( 1649), set in an oriental setting. A total of 35 plays are obtained from Rotrou.

When the plague broke out in 1650 in Dreux, was no longer able Rotrou to flee to Paris. He was infected by the disease and died within a few hours. A complete edition of his works was published in 1822 by Viollet -le- Duc.