Marion de Lorme: "Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life"

By Victor Hugo

Victor Marie Hugo was born on 26th February 1802 and is revered as the greatest of all French writers. A poet, novelist, dramatist and painter he was a passionate supporter of Republicanism and made a notable contribution to the politics of his Country.

His life was paralleled by the immense political and social movements of the 19th Century. When he was two Napoleon was proclaimed Emperor but before he was eighteen the Bourbon Monarchy was restored.

It was only with his Mother’s death in 1821 that he felt confident enough to marry Adele Foucher, a relationship he had kept secret from his mother. Their first child was born inside a year but died in infancy. Leopoldine was born the following year, followed by three further siblings.

Hugo published his first novel the year following year, Han d'Islande, (1823). Three years later his second, Bug-Jargal (1826).

Between 1829 and 1840 he would publish five further volumes of poetry solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest elegiac and lyric poets of his time. His reputation was growing not only in France but across Europe.

In 1841 he was elected to the Académie Française, cementing his position in the world of French arts and letters. Hugo also now began to turn his attention to an involvement in French politics.

Elevated to the peerage by King Louis-Philippe in 1841 he spoke eloquently and at length against the death penalty and social injustice as well as passionately in favour of freedom of the press and self-government for Poland.

When Napoleon III seized power in 1851, and established an anti-parliamentary constitution, Hugo openly declared him a traitor to France and began a long exile, based mainly in Guernsey.

In exile, Hugo published his famous political pamphlets; Napoléon le Petit and Histoire d'un crime. Although the pamphlets were banned in France, they nonetheless made a strong impact there. His exile also seemed to have a creative impetus. He composed or published some of his greatest work including Les Misérables, and three widely honoured collections of poetry (Les Châtiments, 1853; Les Contemplations, 1856; and La Légende des siècles, 1859).

In 1870 the Third Republic was established and Hugo finally returned home, where he was elected to the National Assembly and the Senate. That same year War erupted between France and Prussia and the French were badly beaten.

With the end of the War Hugo began his campaign for a great valuation and protection for the rights of artists and copyright. He was a founding member of the Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale, which led to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

Victor Hugo's death on 22nd May 1885, at the age of 83, generated intense nation-wide mourning. Revered not only as a towering figure in literature, he was a statesman who had helped to shape the Third Republic and democracy in France.

Index of Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

TIME: 1638

MARION DE LORME

ACT I―THE MEETING

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

ACT II―THE ENCOUNTER

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

SCENE V

ACT III―THE COMEDY

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

SCENE V

SCENE VI

SCENE VII

SCENE VIII

SCENE IX

SCENE X

ACT IV―THE KING

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

SCENE V

SCENE VI

SCENE VII

SCENE VIII

ACT V―THE CARDINAL

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

SCENE V

SCENE VI

VICTOR HUGO – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

VICTOR HUGO – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stage Door
• Release date: Mar 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781787378414

Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) is one of the most well-regarded French writers of the nineteenth century. He was a poet, novelist and dramatist, and he is best remembered in English as the author of Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) (1831) and Les Misérables (1862). Hugo was born in Besançon, and became a pivotal figure of the Romantic movement in France, involved in both literature and politics. He founded the literary magazine Conservateur Littéraire in 1819, aged just seventeen, and turned his hand to writing political verse and drama after the accession to the throne of Louis-Philippe in 1830. His literary output was curtailed following the death of his daughter in 1843, but he began a new novel as an outlet for his grief. Completed many years later, this novel became Hugo's most notable work, Les Misérables.

Book preview

Marion de Lorme by Victor Hugo

Victor Marie Hugo was born on 26th February 1802 and is revered as the greatest of all French writers.   A poet, novelist, dramatist and painter he was a passionate supporter of Republicanism and made a notable contribution to the politics of his Country.

His life was paralleled by the immense political and social movements of the 19th Century.   When he was two Napoleon was proclaimed Emperor but before he was eighteen the Bourbon Monarchy was restored. 

It was only with his Mother’s death in 1821 that he felt confident enough to marry Adele Foucher, a relationship he had kept secret from his mother.  Their first child was born inside a year but died in infancy.  Leopoldine was born the following year, followed by three further siblings.  

Hugo published his first novel the year following year, Han d'Islande, (1823).  Three years later his second, Bug-Jargal (1826).

Between 1829 and 1840 he would publish five further volumes of poetry solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest elegiac and lyric poets of his time.  His reputation was growing not only in France but across Europe.

In 1841 he was elected to the Académie Française, cementing his position in the world of French arts and letters.  Hugo also now began to turn his attention to an involvement in French politics.

Elevated to the peerage by King Louis-Philippe in 1841 he spoke eloquently and at length against the death penalty and social injustice as well as passionately in favour of freedom of the press and self-government for Poland.

When Napoleon III seized power in 1851, and established an anti-parliamentary constitution, Hugo openly declared him a traitor to France and began a long exile, based mainly in Guernsey.

In exile, Hugo published his famous political pamphlets;  Napoléon le Petit and Histoire d'un crime. Although the pamphlets were banned in France, they nonetheless made a strong impact there. His exile also seemed to have a creative impetus.  He composed or published some of his greatest work including Les Misérables, and three widely honoured collections of poetry (Les Châtiments, 1853; Les Contemplations, 1856; and La Légende des siècles, 1859).

In 1870 the Third Republic was established and Hugo finally returned home, where he was elected to the National Assembly and the Senate.  That same year War erupted between France and Prussia and the French were badly beaten.

With the end of the War Hugo began his campaign for a great valuation and protection for the rights of artists and copyright. He was a founding member of the Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale, which led to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

Victor Hugo's death on 22nd May 1885, at the age of 83, generated intense nation-wide mourning. Revered not only as a towering figure in literature, he was a statesman who had helped to shape the Third Republic and democracy in France.

Index of Contents

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

TIME: 1638

MARION DE LORME

ACT I―THE MEETING

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

ACT II―THE ENCOUNTER

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

SCENE V

ACT III―THE COMEDY

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

SCENE V

SCENE VI

SCENE VII

SCENE VIII

SCENE IX

SCENE X

ACT IV―THE KING

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

SCENE V

SCENE VI

SCENE VII

SCENE VIII

ACT V―THE CARDINAL

SCENE I

SCENE II

SCENE III

SCENE IV

SCENE V

SCENE VI

VICTOR HUGO – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

VICTOR HUGO – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

Marion de Lorme

Didier

Louis XIII

Marquis de Saverny

Marquis de Nangis

L'Angely

M. de Laffemas

Duke de Bellegarde

Marquis de Brichanteau  }

Count de Gassé   }

Viscount de Bouchavannes } Officers of the Regiment of Anjou

Chevalier de Rochebaron }

Count de Villac   }

Chevalier de Montpesat  }

Duke de Beaupréau

Viscount de Rohan

Abbé de Gondi

Count de Charnacé

Scaramouche }

Gracieux } Provincial Comedians

Taillebras }

Councilor of the Great Chamber

Town Crier 

Captain

A Jailer 

A Registrar

The Executioner

First Workman

Second Workman

Third Workman

A Lackey

Dame Rose

Provincial Comedians, Guards, Populace, Nobles, Pages.

TIME: 1638

MARION DE LORME

ACT I

THE MEETING

Scene.—Blois. A bed-chamber. A window opening on a balcony at the back. To the right, a table with a lamp, and an armchair. To the left a door, covered by a portière of tapestry. In the background a bed

SCENE I

MARION DE LORME, in a very elegant wrapper, sitting beside the table, embroidering. MARQUIS DE SAVERNY, very young man, blonde, without mustache, dressed in the latest fashion of 1638

SAVERNY [approaching MARION and trying to embrace her]

Let us be reconciled, my sweet Marie!

MARION [pushing him away]

Not such close reconciliation, please!

SAVERNY [insisting]

Just one kiss!

MARION [angrily]

Marquis!

SAVERNY

What a rage! Your mouth

Had sweeter manners, not so long ago!

MARION

Ah, you forget!

SAVERNY

No, I remember, dear.

MARION [aside]

The bore! the tiresome creature!

SAVERNY

Speak, fair one!

What does this swift, unkind departure mean?

While all are seeking you at Place Royale,

Why do you hide yourself at Blois? Traitress,

What have you done here all these two long months?

MARION

I do what pleases me, and what I wish

Is right. I'm free, my lord!

SAVERNY

Free! Yes. But those

Whose hearts you've stolen, are they also free?

I? Gondi, who omitted half his Mass

The other day, because he had a duel

Upon his hands for you? Nesmond, D'Arquien,

The two Caussades, Pressigny, whom your flight

Has left so wretched, so morose, even

Their wives wish you were back in Paris, that

They might have gayer husbands!

MARION [smiling]

Beauvillain?

SAVERNY

Is still in love.

MARION

Cereste?

SAVERNY

Adores you yet.

MARION

And Pons?

SAVERNY

Oh, as for him, he hates you!

MARION

Proof

He is the only one who loves me! Well,

The President?

[Laughing]

The old man! What's his name?

[Laughing more heartily.

Leloup!

SAVERNY

He's waiting for you, and meanwhile

He keeps your portrait and sings odes to it.

MARION

He's loved me two years now, in effigy.

SAVERNY

He'd much prefer to burn you. Tell me how

You keep away from such dear friends.

MARION [serious, and lowering her eyes]

That's just

The reason, Marquis; to be frank with you,

Those brilliant follies which seduced my youth

Have given me much more misery than joy.

In a retreat, a convent cell, perhaps,

I want to try to expiate my life.

SAVERNY

I'll wager there's a love-tale behind that.

MARION

You dare to think—

SAVERNY

That never a nun's veil

Surmounted eyes so full of earthly fire.

It could not be. You love some poor provincial!

For shame! To end a fine romance with such

A page!

MARION

It isn't true!

SAVERNY

Let's make a wager!

MARION

Dame Rose, what time is it?

DAME ROSE [outside]

Almost midnight!

MARION [aside]

Midnight!

SAVERNY

That is a most ingenious way

Of saying, Time to go.

MARION

I live retired,

Receiving no one, and unknown to all.

Besides, 'tis dangerous to be out late:

The street is lonely, full of robbers.

SAVERNY

Well,

They can rob me.

MARION

And oftentimes they kill!

SAVERNY

Good! they can kill me.

MARION

But—

SAVERNY

You are divine!

But I'll not stir one foot before I know

Who this gay shepherd is, who's routed us!

MARION

There's no one!

SAVERNY

I will be discreet. We courtiers,

Whom people think so mad, so curious

And spiteful, are maligned. We gossip, but

We never talk! You're silent?

[Sits down.

Then I'll stay!

MARION

What does it matter? Well, it's true! I love!

I'm waiting for him!

SAVERNY

That's the way to talk!

That's right! Where is it you expect him?

MARION

Here!

SAVERNY

When?

MARION

Now!

[She goes to the balcony and listens.