Le Garçon et l'aveugle
Encyclopedia
Le Garçon et l'aveugle is the name of a 13th century French
play; considered the oldest surviving French literature farce
, it is by an anonymous author.
In the play there are two scoundrels, a "blind" beggar and his servant boy. The blind beggar has a secret hoard of coins, which the boy tricks away from him. The boy deceives, robs then beats his master -- the trickster has become the tricked.
It was a simple play with no props and could be performed by two actors anywhere. It probably is one of many performed by wandering jongleurs catering to the tastes and theme of market days and fairs. An important business for the actors was to collect money from spectators, and the actors beggar-man part in the play allowed for comic audience participation.
Because the deceiver is deceived, along with slapstick
action, it is considered the oldest surviving farce in French literature
. This means it is the oldest to survive in written form, but is part of a much older oral tradition
.
This "trickster is tricked" theme, and that of the cuckold
ed husband, were the main preoccupations of the medieval farceur. The play is in many respects identical to the first chapter of "The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes," a picaresque novel published anonymously in Spain in 1554. The play may have served as source material for the book, or both may have emerged from a common folktale.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
play; considered the oldest surviving French literature farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
, it is by an anonymous author.
In the play there are two scoundrels, a "blind" beggar and his servant boy. The blind beggar has a secret hoard of coins, which the boy tricks away from him. The boy deceives, robs then beats his master -- the trickster has become the tricked.
It was a simple play with no props and could be performed by two actors anywhere. It probably is one of many performed by wandering jongleurs catering to the tastes and theme of market days and fairs. An important business for the actors was to collect money from spectators, and the actors beggar-man part in the play allowed for comic audience participation.
Because the deceiver is deceived, along with slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
action, it is considered the oldest surviving farce in French literature
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
. This means it is the oldest to survive in written form, but is part of a much older oral tradition
Oral literature
Oral literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. It thus forms a generally more fundamental component of culture, but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do...
.
This "trickster is tricked" theme, and that of the cuckold
Cuckold
Cuckold is a historically derogatory term for a man who has an unfaithful wife. The word, which has been in recorded use since the 13th century, derives from the cuckoo bird, some varieties of which lay their eggs in other birds' nests...
ed husband, were the main preoccupations of the medieval farceur. The play is in many respects identical to the first chapter of "The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes," a picaresque novel published anonymously in Spain in 1554. The play may have served as source material for the book, or both may have emerged from a common folktale.