is a five-act comedy in verse composed by Marie-Catherine Desjardins (1640-83), who would later be known as Madame de Villedieu. Written in 1664 and first performed by Molière’s troupe in 1665, this witty, intuitive play represents a key moment in the evolution in women’s writing during the French seventeenth century.
Desjardins’ three dramatic texts, which comprise, in addition to Le Favori, the tragicomedy Manlius (1662), and the tragedy Nitétis (1663), represent some of the earliest published works in the author’s long and productive literary career. According to Perry Gethner, the young Desjardins was mostly likely encouraged to write for the theatre by her literary mentor, the Abbé François Hédelin d’Aubignac. Although Desjardins’ plays enjoyed
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Citation: Mangerson, Polly. "Le Favori". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 January 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35710, accessed 21 November 2024.]
