'' L'Île de la raison (en: The Island of Reason)'' is a social comedy in three acts and in prose by French playwright Pierre de Marivaux, represented for the first time 11 September 1727 by the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

Analysis

''L'Île de la raison'' covers the same topics as ''

L'Île des esclaves ''L’Île des esclaves'' () is a one-act comedy by Pierre de Marivaux; it was the first of three plays in the series. It was presented for the first time on March 5, 1725 at the Hôtel de Bourgogne by the Comédie Italienne; an actress nam ...

'' and develops them further. The essential defect of ''The Island of reason'' was that its representation on stage needed an impossible optical trick: in Marivaux's mind, the characters of the play are dwarfs that grow slowly and reach the size of a man as their reason increases. This effect was impossible to show to the audience, even if they were informed of the fact. They would have to imagine that individuals whose size does not vary in their eyes, are first dwarves at the beginning of the piece, and ordinary men and women at the end. Marivaux thought that he could remedy this deficiency by placing a prologue at the beginning of his comedy. Also, in the first scene, the governor of the island and his daughter share some observations about the little things that the shipwreck has thrown in their island, and they handle them like the people of Brobdingnag treated Gulliver; but these explanations didn't get enough attention on the subject.

Reception

Very badly received by the public at the first performance, ''Island of reason'' was played only four times. Although it abounds in beautiful details and especially witty spiritual comments, this is less of a play than a philosophical essay. Marivaux wrote a preface in which he acknowledges that the piece is unplayable:

Characters

Prologue: * The Marquis * The Knight * The Countess * The Advisor Play: * The Governor * Parmenas, son of the Governor * Floris, daughter of the Governor * Blectrue, Advisor to the Governor * Islander * A Islander * Megisti, servant from the island * Retinue of the Governor * The Courtier * The Countess, sister of The Courtier * Fontignac, Gascon, secretary of The Courtier * Spinette, following The Countess * The Poet * The Philosopher * The Doctor * The peasant Blaise

Plot

On the island of reason all people are reasonable. As the sage Blectrue, advisor to the governor of the island, explains to newcomers, it is women who pay court to the men. When individuals who are not reasonable land there, they lose their size in proportion to their degree of madness. Eight French land in this island: a courtier, his gascon secretary, named Frontignac, a countess and her maid Spinette, a poet, a philosopher, a doctor and a farmer. In their capacity as French, these characters have become dwarfs on arrival, but they are so in various degrees. One whose size is less affected by Blaise is the peasant, and therefore, he is the most reasonable. Blaise agrees frankly that he often overstepped the rules of temperance, and he often wanted to deceive the purchasers of his products. As he admits his mistakes and takes the resolution to correct them, he grows up in the eyes of his companions. Once healed, he begins to heal the Gascon, who, accepting sincerely that he was a liar, braggart and flatterer, also resumes his size. The Gascon, in turn, confesses and heals the maid. As for the doctor, who has become almost undetectable, he must promise to stop "curing" his patients and to let them die on their own to recover its size. The Countess must, in turn, has to correct her coquetry, her pride and feigned politeness. She even decides to make a statement to the son of the governor of the island, and she gets back the size she was before the wreck. The hardest conversion is that of the courtier, whose secretary has the greatest difficulty in reminding him of his loans, left and right, never returned, his false protestations of friendship, his love of praise. The courtier finally confesses his wrongs, and tending his hand to the farmer and the gascon, who showed them to him. Only the poet and philosopher refuse to admit they were wrong, and remain incurable. Spinette decides, as the Countess, to make a statement and it is well received, and everything ends in marriages.

References

* Jean Fleury, ''Marivaux et le marivaudage'', Paris, Plon, 1881, p. 85-8.

External links