Polichinelle explains to the audience that, in the fashion of larger theatres, he will harangue them. He justifies the fact that he is presenting a new parody of Atys, which was already performed by Italian comedians, and advocates for the rights of the puppets, “let’s polish the most mischievous” of the Fair.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

Fuzelier Louis

France

Paris

Printed

Public

Comédie Française

Comédie-Italienne

United States of America

Comical

Parodistic

Extract from a reconstitution by Alban Thierry, from company Zouak, and his students of Harangue de Polichinelle, during PuppetPlays' Laboratory of experimental dramaturgy concerning the repertory for puppets of the theatres of the Foire Saint-German in the 18th century.

French

Polichinelle

Monologue

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Address to the public

Oration

Harangue de Polichinelle

Polichinelle's harangue

Apollo has fled the wretchedness of German literature for the land of Utopia. Mercury relates how German poets have turned the Parnassus into a brothel and reminds Apollo of his responsibilities. They go to the Parnassus and find that Minerva has been raped and is on the verge of hanging herself. Then, Apollo dispenses justice and punishes muses and the members of their cult: he transforms them into pigs, donkeys, dung beetles, spittoons and dustbins, and serves the rest up to journalists. Once their work is complete, they will be hung by their feet.

Schink Johann Friedrich

Germany

Berlin

Greek mythology

Gods

Poetry

Wonderland

Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock

Gottfried August Bürger

Popular literature

Sturm und Drang

Preromantic

Triviality

Scatology

Rousseauism

Germanic mythology

Philosophy

Stench

Satirical

Burlesque

Engraving from the original publication of Marionettentheater (1778)

Harangue de Polichinelle

Der Staupbesen

Eine dramatsche Fantasei