Ruy Blas

Ruy Blas is a tragic drama by Victor Hugo. It was the first play presented at the Théâtre de la Renaissance and opened on November 8, 1838. Though considered by many to be Hugo’s best drama, the play initially met with only average success.

The action takes place in 17th century Spain during the reign of Charles II. Ruy Blas, an indentured commoner (and a poet), dares to love the Queen. The play is a thinly-veiled cry for political reform.

Synopsis

The story centers around a practical joke played on the queen by Don Sallustio for revenge. Knowing that one of his slaves, Ruy Blas, has secretly fallen in love with the queen, the Don disguises Blas as a nobleman and takes him to court. Intelligent and generous, Blas becomes popular, is appointed prime minister, and begins useful reforms, and conquers the queen's heart. Don Sallustio returns to take his revenge; he discloses the masquerade by cruelly humiliating Blas - he commands Blas to close the window and pick up his handkerchief, while trying to explain the condition of Spanish politics. Blas kills him and decides to commit suicide with poison. On the point of death, he is forgiven by the queen who openly declares her love for him.^[1]

Adaptations

• Felix Mendelssohn, after reading (and hating) the play, was commissioned to write a Concert Overture based on it, his Opus 95.^[2]

• Irish actor and dramatist Edmund Falconer translated Ruy Blas in 1858. It was performed at the Princess Theatre, London, in late 1858.

• W. S. Gilbert wrote a burlesque of the play, by the same name, in Warne's Christmas Annual for 1866.^[3]

• An opera, again of the same name, by Filippo Marchetti with a libretto by Carlo d'Ormeville was produced in 1869.^[4]

• A musical comedy, Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué, by A. C. Torr and Herbert F. Clark with music by Meyer Lutz, premiered in 1889.

• A 1947 movie, again called Ruy Blas, was directed by Pierre Billon, adapted by Jean Cocteau, and starring Jean Marais, Danielle Darrieux and Marcel Herrand.

• Another movie from 1971, La folie des grandeurs, directed by Gérard Oury, adapted by Danièle Thomson, and starring Alice Sapritch, Louis de Funès and Yves Montand, is also based on it.

• It also formed the basis for a 2002 telefilm by Jacques Weber, again called Ruy Blas.

Dramatis Personae

• Ruy Blas
• Don Salluste de Bazan, marquis de Finlas
• Don César de Bazan, comte de Garofa
• Don Guritan
• Le Comte de Camporeal
• Le Marquis de Santa-Cruz
• Le marquis del Basto
• Le comte d'Albe
• Le marquis de Priego
• Don Manuel Arias
• Montazgo
• Don Antonio Ubilla
• Covadenga
• Gudiel
• Doña Maria de Neubourg, Queen of Spain
• La Duchesse d'Albuquerque
• Casilda
• Un laquais, un alcade, alguazils, pages, dames, seigneurs, privy councillors, duègnes, guards, huissiers de chambre et de cour

See also

• Don César de Bazan
• Maritana

References

• Information about the background of the play
• Lancaster, H. Carrington. "The Genesis of 'Ruy Blas'" in Modern Philology, Vol. 14, No. 11 (March 1917), pp. 641-46

External links

French Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Ruy Blas

• Preface to Ruy Blas
• Script of the play