Alexandre Hardy
Alexandre Hardy, born around 1572 in Paris, was a notable French playwright associated with the Comédiens du Roi, a prominent acting troupe during his time. Though little is known about his personal life, his theatrical career was significant, especially in shaping the evolution of French drama. Hardy wrote prolifically, claiming to have authored hundreds of plays, yet fewer than fifty have survived to this day. His works often borrowed from existing French and foreign dramas, and he was known for his rapid writing style.
Hardy’s contributions included the introduction of five-act plays written in verse and the popularization of tragicomedy, departing from the classical traditions of his era, which emphasized strict rules like the three unities. His plays often featured themes of violence and complex characters, diverging from the nobility-centric narratives typical of classical playwrights. Despite his lack of financial success and patronage, he garnered friendships within literary circles, including connections with influential figures like Isaac de Laffemar and the poet Théophile de Viau. Hardy's influence laid the groundwork for the dramatists of the early seventeenth century, who would refine the theatrical forms he helped establish. He passed away in 1632, succumbing to the plague.
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Alexandre Hardy
Dramatist
- Born: c. 1572
- Birthplace: Paris, France
- Died: c. 1632
- Place of death: Paris, France
Biography
Alexandre Hardy was born in Paris around 1572. Little is known of his early or later life aside from his activity as a playwright. For most of his professional life, he was associated with the Comédiens du Roi, a troupe of actors led by the actor Valleran Lecomte. Hardy provided the troupe with plays. He may have gone on tour with them in the provinces and may have performed in some plays. The Comédiens du Roi also performed in Paris at the Hôtel de Bourgogne from 1598 to 1600 and from 1606 to 1612. During the intervening years, the troupe performed in other Paris locations apparently because of disagreements between them and the Confrerie de la Passion, the association of amateur actors who held the privilege to the theater.
When Valleran Lecomte died, Pierre Le Messier, who appeared on stage using the name Bellerose, became head of the Comédiens du Roi. The relationship between Hardy and Bellerose was fraught with problems. Thus, Hardy began writing for a troupe of actors who performed at the Théâtre du Marais. Hardy attracted neither riches nor patrons in spite of the many dedications that he attached to his works. He was, however, befriended by Isaac de Laffemar, an agent of Cardinal Richelieu and the poet Théophile de Viau. Tristan l’Hermite also appreciated his work.
As a dramatist, Hardy was extremely prolific. He claimed to have written hundreds of plays. Unfortunately, fewer than fifty of his plays survive in print. Hardy wrote his plays quickly, often borrowing from French and foreign plays and at times adapting entire plays. In 1623, he published his Les Chastes et Loyales Amours de Théagène et Chariclée. In 1624, Hardy began to publish his plays in a multi-volume edition entitled Le Théâtre d’Alexandre Hardy, parisien. From 1624 to 1628, he published one volume in Rouen and four in Paris. He died of the plague in 1632.
Hardy played a significant role in the development of theater in France, preparing the way for the dramatists of the early seventeenth century. However, he did not adhere to the rules of classical drama, particularly the three classical unities (one course of action in one place completed in twenty-four hours). Murder, rape, and characters other than nobility abound in his plays. Nor was his diction that of the classical playwrights. Medieval farce continued to dominate the popular theater in Hardy’s time. He introduced the theater-going public to the drama in five acts written in verse, and he popularized the tragicomedy. The dramatists of the seventeenth century refined and stylized the type of theater that Hardy had begun.