Le Mythe d'Oedipe et ses métamorphoses dans le théâtre français du XVIIe au XXe siècle portant dans leur titre le nom du mythe

Abstract

This thesis entitled, The Oedipus myth and its metamorphoses in 17th through 20th century French plays having 'Oedipus' in their titles, is about a study of the myth of Oedipus, its entrance into French literature and its modification throughout the centuries, according to the authors' literary tastes. Our research began by a definition of the myth, and its introduction into literature, especially theatre. Then we analyzed each play having the name of the hero in the title. We started our analysis with Corneille, the great dramatist of the 17th century and we ended, following a chronological itinerary, with the writer, Hélène Cixous, always using Oedipus the King by Sophocles as a basis. We named each chapter using qualitative adjective describing Oedipus and representing the epoch and the ideology of the author. In comparing each Oedipus, we noticed a rewriting, either through modification or inversion, or by a metamorphosis of the original play by Sophocles.