Polichinelle enters singing. He kills Pierrot who was trying to imitate him. He then kills the child of Mère Gigogne because it would not stop crying, and knocks out Mère Gigogne who was protesting. He kills doctor Bouillon-Pointu who came to offer him a remedy for his bloated stomach, then he kills the Commissaire (Superintendent) who came to arrest him. After another fight against two Gendarmes (Policemen), they both manage to get him under control. Imprisoned, Polichinelle is to be hanged, but he manages to take the place of the Bourreau (Executioner). In his last fight against the Diable (Devil), he manages to defeat him and throws him out of the theatre.

Glove-puppet

Young audiences

France

Paris

Printed

Cheekiness

Rivalry

Assassination

Infanticide

Serial murder

Punishment

Farcical

Mathieu Gringoire, vignette for Polichinelle, 1838.

French

Polichinelle

Pierrot

Mother Gigogne

Baby

Physician

Police Superintendant

Constable

Executioner

Devil

Song

Fight

Blow-with-a-stick

Murder on stage

Hanging scene

Apparition of the Devil

Character thrown out of the scene