Pierre Corneille
modernFrench Classicism1606 – 1684
Pierre Corneille (1606-1684) was a French tragedian widely regarded as one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, alongside Moliere and Racine. While primarily a playwright rather than a philosopher, his theoretical writings on dramatic art, particularly his Discours and Examens, engaged deeply with Aristotelian poetics and defended classical unities in drama.
Notable Achievements
1
Wrote Le Cid (1637), a foundational work of French classical theatre
2
Authored the Three Discourses on dramatic poetry defending and revising Aristotelian principles
3
Established the conventions of French classical tragedy
4
Composed major tragedies including Horace, Cinna, and Polyeucte
5
Elected to the Academie francaise in 1647