Table of Contents
1606: Birth of Pierre Croneille, in Rouen, June 6
1622: Finishes studies at the Jesuit college of Rouen
1624: Receives law degree
1625-29: His first play, Mélite, a comedy, staged in Paris
1632: Clitandre, tragicomedy
1633-34: Three comedies, La Veuve, La Galerie du Palais, and La Suivante. Médée, a tradegy
1636: L’Illusion comique, comedy, and Le Cid, tragicomedy, based on the play by Guillen de Castro, Las Mocedades del Cid. Richelieu grants him an annual pension of 1,500 livres
1637-38: “Quarrel of the Cid,” various critics and the Academy itself publish criticisms, to which the author replies
1640: Horace and Cinna, tragedies. Marriage to Marie de Lampérière
1641-43: Polyeucte, tragedy
1642-43: La Mort de Pompée, tragedy; le Menteur, comedy; la Suite du Menteur, comedy
1644: Rodogune, tragedy
1645: Théodore, vierge et martyre, tragedy
1647: Héraclius, tragedy
1650: Andromède, tragedy “with machines” (the use of stage machinery for spectacular effects, as in opera), Don Sanche d’Aragon, heroic comedy
1651: Nocomède, tragedy
1652: Pertharite tragedy whichfails. Corneille gives up writing drama for seven years
1659: Returns to the theatre with Œdipe, tragedy
1661: La Toison d’Or, tragedy with machines
1662: Sertorius, tragedy
1663: Sophonisbe, tragedy
1664: Othon, tragedy
1666: Agésilas, tragedy
1667: Attila, tragedy
1670: Tite et Bérénice, heroic comedy
1671: Psyché, tragic ballet, in collaboration with Molière, Quinault, and Lully
1672: Pulchérie, heroic comedy
1684: Death of Corneille on October 1st