Although he mangles every word he says, Polichinelle lets his Voisin (neighbour) on his dream of becoming a member of the French Academy. He responds to every objection made to him and presents the speech he means to make to the members of the Academy.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

Malézieu Nicolas de

France

Sceaux

Printed

Scatology

French language

Fart

French Academy

Farcical

Title page of Nicolas de Malézieux's play Polichinelle demandant une place à l'académie, in the collection Pièces échappées du feu, 1717.

French

Dialogue entre Polichinelle et son Voisin

Polichinelle

Neighbour

Comic speech

Polichinelle demandant une place dans l'Académie

Polichinelle asking for a seat in the French Academy

Polichinelle tells the Compère (sidekick) that he started selling lazzis (divertissements) to support his six lovers but fears that he will lack wit. A Magicien (Magician) helps him by sending him to a sabbat, where he can become a sorcerer. The Lazzistes come one by one and make requests which he cannot fulfil. Polichinelle promises Mlle Tonton that he will introduce her to M. l’Ingrat. He makes a miniature theatre appear for M. Bavard. Mlle Tonton and M. l’Ingrat recognise one another and have a lovers’ quarrel. M. Souverain makes a sensational entry. To support his claim that he is the greatest Lazziste, he starts a firework show and announces the beginning of the supper.

Salley Charles-Alexandre

Comte de Caylus (Anne-Claude-Philippe de Tubières de Grimoard de Pestels de Lévis de Caylus)

Paris

Sabbath

Society Theatre

Friendship

Licentiousness

Quarrel

Love argument

Comical

The Interpreter

Magician

Savoyard

Pierrot

Scene of recognition

Magic act

Dialogue between characters who do not see each other

Word for another

Theatre within the theatre

Dialogue with a character in the audience

Letter

Polichinelle lazziste

Hanswurst is thrown out like trash from the stage of the Berlin theatre following the success of Voltaire’s tragedy Alzire. He is exiled to Salzbourg, where he lodges at Stoffel Knips’ house and seduces his host’s wife. Stoffel Knips catches them in the act and throws them out. Hanswurst’s distress is such that he tries to kill himself. But thunder strikes the branch on which he was hanging. Two Turks pass by the unconscious couple and take them aboard their felucca going to Turkey. During the trip, Madame Knips gives birth to two children – a boy and a girl – who grow extremely fast. In Turkey, Hanswurst is castrated to be made a eunuch in the Sultan’s seraglio. Madame Knips fell in the sea with her son during the trip, but she manages to swim to shore. She competes with her daughter for the Sultan’s favours; Hanswurst takes offence and makes a scene. He is banished by the Sultan as a result, and returns to Berlin, where he meets a prostitute. He recognizes one of the brothel’s clients as his own son, who also escaped drowning and became a pedant professor of philosophy. During a lecture he gives on the German almanac Allgemeine deutsche Bibliothek, published by Friedrich Christoph Nicolai, all the characters on stage die from atrocious diarrhoea.

Schink Johann Friedrich

Germany

Berlin

Turkey

Sultan

Seraglio

Unfaithfulness

Prostitution

Suicide

Education

Literary criticism

Sturm und Drang

Genie

Adventure

Navigation

Human castration

Mutilation

Childbirth

Storm

Tempest

Colic

Fornication

Triviality

Obscenity

Satirical

Anonymous illustration on the title page of Johann Friedrich Schink's collection Marionettentheater

German

Hanswurst

Madame Knips

Turk

Sailor

Daughter

Physician

Slave

Lady

Old woman

Prompter (theatre)

Bawdy equivocation

Splitting of the body

Prologue

Address to the public

Love story

Hanging scene

Play in verse

Epilogue

Unexpected turn of events

Brothel scene

Foul language register

Allusion to current literary events

Hanswurst von Salzburg mit dem hölzernen Gat

Hanswurst of Salzbourg with the wooden arse

Driven by his ambition, doctor Faust learns black magic and sells his soul to the devil Mefistopheles, who will serve him for twenty-four years in return. Mefistopheles is also trying to obtain the soul of his servant Hannswurst. Imitating his master, the latter also tried to summon demons; however, the devil himself is bewildered by the servant’s coarseness and simple-mindedness. Mefistopheles then takes them to Italy: the Duchess of Parma is desperately trying to win back the love of the Duke, who suffers from melancholy. Faust promises to heal him, before finding out that the Duchess wants to poison him to avenge herself for the affront of Hannswurst, who farted on her face. Mefistopheles helps them both go back to Wittemberg safely. But Faust’s final hour has come. He tries to trick his way out of Hell, by suggesting that he and his old servant swap clothes; but Hannswurst is not fooled, and Faust is damned.

String marionette

Geisselbrecht Johann Georg

Weimar

University

Necromancy

Sorcery

Donkey

Perlike

Vanity

Human condition

Eternal punishment

Hell

Goat

Nightwatchman

Tragic

Burlesque

Mock-heroic

Fausts Leben, Thaten und Höllenfahrt

Eine alte Volks-Sage, aus den Zeiten des 12ten Jahrhunderts in 5 Aufzügen

Faust

Christoph Wagner

Duchess of Parma

Skeleton

Mephistopheles

Devil

Angel

Voice

Fury

Helen of Troy

Monologue

Off-stage voice

Dilemma

Parodic trial

Lazzi

Thunderbolt

Pact with the devil

Macaronism

Talking animal

Dream

Sung scenes

Comic equivocation

Pyrotechnics

Apparition

Doctor Faust

Don Juan murders Don Pietro, who came running to his daughter Anna’s aid for a villain had tried to seduce her by night and, failing to do so, attempted to abduct her. In the following scene, Don Juan receives two successive visits. His servant Hans turns out the first visitor – a creditor asking for his money – while his master hides. Then a judge with a court clerk comes to investigate the death of Don Pietro. Don Juan pretends to be someone else. He then undertakes to leave town incognito by changing clothes with Hans, who boasts about his new role as the master. As the judge nearly recognises them, Don Juan kills him. The two fugitives reach the cemetery, where Don Juan asks Hans to invite Don Pietro’s statue. The ghost agrees and comes over. Don Juan refuses to repent. Hans, to whom the ghost assured there was nothing to fear, follow them to the cemetery out of curiosity, and he sees his master walk into hell.