The French theatre in the 17th century / The theatrical rules       The theatrical rules With the Pastorale, the first rules reach the French theatre at the beginning of the 17th century. In fact, a few intellectuals compare the French Pastorale to its Italian counterpart, taking offence at its differences, and emphasising that the latter has a beauty that makes it distinctly superior. They notably point out that the Italian plays observe rules that the French stage completely disregards. First of all the length of the action does not generally exceed twenty-four hours, then the location is limited to a restricted space and finally the intrigue takes place around a central theme that ensures its unity. In 1628 the Cardinal de La Valette and the Count de Cramail, keen amateurs, ask Mairet, who is one of the leaders of the new generation of dramatists, to introduce on the French stage a Pastorale where these rules would be strictly observed. No-one wanted to reform the theatre as a whole, but only establish in France a style that to them seemed “ pleasant ” and which had been a splendid success in Italy. Mairet studies the Italian pastorales by Tasse, Guarini and Bonarelli, and discovers that they had already taken their lead from the Ancient Greek and Latin, religiously observing these rules. In this manner these theatrical rules make their first appearance in the French theatre. Between 1630 and 1661, they become clearer and finally take a major place, to become the imperatives of the classic theatre. To the unity of action, time and place already mentioned, are added the unity of tone, the respect of decorum and plausibility, as well as a sense of measure. If the rules help the theatre to progress with structure and discipline, they are not designed to be exhaustive. Their application does not dispense with talent and pleasing the public. This is sometimes forgotten and they are used to conceal mediocrity. Molière, in the Critique de l'Ecole des femmes, thus reminds his contemporaries : You are pleasant people with your rules with which you embarrass ignoramuses and astound us every day. It seems, to hear you speak, that these rules of the art are the greatest mysteries of the World, but however they are only some easy observations, made by common sense on what can remove the pleasure that one finds in this kind of poem.