Resumen de Le spectre de la défaite
Napoléon took theatre in great consideration and used to be extremely vigilant with respect to possible political implications in the tragic genre. Even if the creation of new tragedies was encouraged by the government, there were only a small amount of creation at the Comédie-Française during the Napoleonian Age and their success was often due to the quality of its interpreters. During this period, mélodrame proves to be the most creative and innovative genre, and it is also the most appreciated by the public. This paper will focus on the historical character of Tippo-Saëb as he was represented in Étienne de Jouy’s tragedy of the same name. To better underline the contradictions and uncertainties of the tragic genre, the political and aesthetic implications of the play, Jouy’s text will be analyzed in comparison with the mélodrame Tipoo-Saib ou la Prise de Séringapatam by Dubois and Gobert of the same period.
