Theatre and power before the institution. La Princesse d'Elide during and after Les Plaisirs de l'ile enchantee (1664)

By studying Moliere's Princesse d'Elide, this paper aims to address the question of the political use of theatre before the existence of the institutional theatres D. The play was produced for the first time during Louis XIV's court festival, Les Plaisirs de l'ile enchantee. At that stage, the choice of theatre (rather than other forms of entertainment) was the result of a complex set of political, professional and aesthetical rivalries. It was this conflictual context that created the political value of theatre and its interest for the contemporary political powers. What became of this political use of theatre once the festival was over? By studying La Princesse d'Elide's printed editions and a libertine rewriting of the play as a novel, this paper shows how the political value of theatre is re-enacted, appropriated, and even subverted.