The Reine des Sylphes (queen of the Sylphs) declares her love to Polichinelle. The latter is taken into her palace in the air and praised by a Suivante (lady-in-waiting), a Comédien (comedian), a Poète (poet) and a Musicien (musician). Each provides opportunities to mock Parisian people’s immorality and idiosyncrasies. The Reine joins Polichinelle: together, they attend a divertissement danced by the Sylphes (Sylphs), and the final vaudeville.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

France

Paris

Printed

Germanic mythology

Fairy

Parisian life

Immorality

Unfaithfulness

Love

Life of the theatres

Fantasy

Comical

Satirical

Manuscrit of Polichinelle roi des Sylphes (BnF, Ms Fr 9312).

French

Polichinelle

Queen

Lady-in-waiting

Actor

Poet

Musician

Sylph

Invisible character

Off-stage voice

Dancing entertainment

Final song

Play with drawers

Aria

Polichinelle roi des Sylphes

Polichinelle king of the Sylphs

Cassandre wants to marry his daughter Colombine to the baker Pierrot, but she prefers Arlequin, his cousin, a wigmaker and the inventor of an anti-baldness cream. Cassandre is about to eat an egg from the bird Rock, but the bird steals his wig. He promises to give his daughter’s hand to anyone who will be able to bring the wig back to him. With the help of his godmother the Fée Carabosse (Wicked Fairy), Pierrot travels in the air, accompanied by Arlequin, who grabbed his leg. They arrive on an island where a crocodile almost eats Pierrot, and they embark on a small boat that breaks in half after an argument between them. On the Île des Bêtes (Island of the Beasts), the Lion is upset because it is losing its mane. Arlequin offers it the cream, but first, he tries it on Pierrot. The Lion is enthusiastic and decides to name it the Pommade du Lion (Cream of the Lion). Cassandre arrives, and when he witnesses Arlequin’s success, he gives him Colombine’s hand in marriage.

Young audiences

Séraphin Pauline

Baldness

Invention

Island

Travel in the air

Boat trip

Broom

Reward

Argument

Forced marriage

Animal

Cassandre

Arlecchino

Pierrot

Notary

Colombine

Fée Carabosse

Lion

Monkey

Parrot

Magpie

Bird Roc

Love rivalry

Fight with an animal

Apparition

Talking animal

La Perruque de Cassandre

Cassandre's wig

The Emperor is moved by the sadness of Guerrino il Meschino, who learnt about his origins through the perfidious Brunoro: when he was an infant, some privateers took him away from his parents, who were left at the mercy of the waves. The Emperor convokes an Enchanter who reveals to Guerrino that he must go to the Trees of the Sun in order to find his parents. He leaves with his squires, Faggiolino and Giuppino. The journey is not easy and Guerrino has to overcome many obstacles, such as the encounter with a cannibal whom he manages to kill. Once he has arrived at the Trees of the Sun, Guerrino manages to communicate with the Oracle of the Sun, whose voice tells him about his noble origins and explains that, in order to find his parents, who are still alive, he needs to head west. Guerrino and his squires are helped by the Solitario (“Solitary”), who tells them to find the fairy Alcina. There, Guerrino risks being caught in her net: Alcina does everything she can to seduce him and make him stay forever in her enchanted garden. But Guerrino comes back to his senses, threatens her with his sword, and she transforms into a statue. Alcina’s statue reveals that Guerrino’s parents are living in prison, in a state of famine. Guerrino resumes his journey and finally arrives at Taranto, where he helps his cousin Antinisca, Queen of Taranto, fight the villainous Saracen prince, Nadar. It is he who has usurped the throne of Durazzo, stealing it from Milone, Guerrino’s father, and who has separated the prince from his parents. Antinisca and Guerrino fall in love. The Queen gives Guerrino permission to search Taranto’s prisons for his parents, and to free them if he finds them, which he does. When Nadar learns about it, he abducts Guerrino’s parents again. Guerrino, with the help of his friend Alessandro, attacks Durazzo and finally manages to kill Nadar. The kingdom is handed over to Milone, and everyone joyfully celebrates the wedding of Guerrino and Antinisca.

Glove-puppet

Italy

Bologna

Handwritten summary

Foundling

Filiation

Quest

Journey

Power

Epic

Italian

Guerrino detto il Meschino Agl'alberi del Sole Alla grotta della Fata Alcina Con Faggiolino suo scudiero

Emperor

Prince

Princess

Astrologer

Fagiolino

Page

Guerrino il Meschino

Cannibal

Innkeeper

Valet

Priest

Hermit

Voice

Alcina

Maid

Snake

Father

Mother

Head of the Guard

King

Soldier

Dragon

Unexpected turn of events

Fight

Enchantment

Release of a prisoner

Change of social status

Statue coming to life

Parody of formal language

Nursery rhyme

Dialect

Final wedding

Guerrino Meschino

The play takes place on a island of dreams. Mère-Grand learns that Myrrhine has distanced herself from her five sisters to dream on her own by the sea. She worries about it, as this daydreaming can only carry the young woman off towards reality. Myrrhine confirms that the “bandeau d’illusion” (the blindfold of illusion) has indeed been lifted from her eyes, and that she no longer believes in fairytales, only in love: she loves the Chevalier Tavonin (Knight Tavonin) and believes that she is loved by him too. The Knight appears on a small boat with Aurore, his new lover, and rejects Myrrhine. In her despair, she calls on the Génie des Arbres (the Genie of the Trees) and the Fée des Mousses (the Moss Fairy), but they are powerless—they cannot console her now that she has lost her illusions. Myrrhine kills herself by jumping into the sea. Mère-Grand blames her death on the Knight, but he replies saying that he is Love incarnated and that all of Myrrhine’s sisters will suffer the same fate, as their eyes will eventually be opened too.

Belgium

Illusion

Dream

Reality

Death

Suicide

Belief

Childhood

Teenagers

Genie

Plant world

Funeral procession

Tragic

Grandmother

Knight

Revelation

Allegory

Le Bandeau d'illusion

The Blindfold of illusion

Polichinelle’s humps get in the way of his sleep. Crispin advises him to go find the fairy Mélusine so that she removes them from him. But the Fée (Fairy) is not at home and her daughter, who is still learning magic, gives him the wrong ointment. Polichinelle changes into a camel. He will have to find white roses to break the spell. Madame Dupont-Duteil is on her way to a marriage with a bouquet of white roses. She faints at the sight of the camel eating the flowers and transforming back into Polichinelle. Mère Gigogne, Polichinelle’s mother, gives birth to several children. She helps Madame Dupont-Duteil regain consciousness and has her believe that Polichinelle wants to marry her – news at which she runs away. Vexed, Polichinelle summons the Devil. He traps him in a sewing box and the Devil teaches him how to get rid of his humps—he must find a Parisian Marionnettiste (a Puppeteer). The latter removes Polichinelle’s humps. Having become “like everyone else”, Polichinelle lost his immortality. Death comes to take him away, but He has forgotten His scythe. While Death is looking for it, Polichinelle asks the Parisian Marionnettiste to glue his humps back on him. Death comes back with His scythe and fights with Polichinelle, who prevails. Crispin sets the Devil free. As a way to thank him, Death grants him a wish and Crispin asks to be loved by Madame Dupont-Duteil. He makes a deal with the Devil and Madame Dupont-Duteil invites Crispin over to her house. The Devil laments not having taken Polichinelle’s life but comforts himself with the thought that he has won Crispin who, having left with Madame Dupont-Duteil, is already “in Hell” in a way.