About
Paul Scarron, born and died in Paris (1610-1660), was a major French writer of the burlesque. He excelled as a poet, playwright, and novelist. His most famous work, Le Roman comique (1651-1659), is an unfinished picaresque novel that depicts with realism and humor the life of a troupe of strolling actors. His plays, such as Jodelet, ou le maître valet (1645) and Dom Japhet d'Arménie (1647), influenced Molière. Stricken with paralysis in 1638, he spent his last twenty years in a wheelchair. In 1652, he married Françoise d'Aubigné, the future Madame de Maintenon.
* 1610-07-04 — † 1660-10-06
Major works
- Le Roman comique (1651-1659)novel
- Virgile travesti (1648-1653)burlesque poetry
- Jodelet, ou le maître valet (1645)play
- Dom Japhet d'Arménie (1647)play
Key milestones
- 1638Becomes severely disabled, likely from polio, with legs paralyzed.
- 1651Loses his royal pension after publishing an anti-Mazarin pamphlet during the Fronde.
- 1652Marries Françoise d'Aubigné, future Madame de Maintenon.
Themes
BurlesqueComedyProvincial lifeTheaterParody
Sources: britannica.com · newadvent.org · oxfordreference.com