Cromwell (play)

Cromwell (play)
Name	Cromwell
Writer	Victor Hugo
Characters	Oliver Cromwell, Charles I of England, Richard Cromwell, John Milton, Thomas Fairfax
Setting	London, England, 1657
Premiere date	Unperformed (written 1827)
Subject	English Civil War, Puritan rule, Political power
Genre	Historical drama, Romanticism

Cromwell (play). *Cromwell* is a five-act verse drama written by the French author Victor Hugo in 1827. The play focuses on the final days of the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell as he contemplates accepting the crown of England, set against the backdrop of the Interregnum. Although never performed due to its immense length and sprawling cast, the work is historically significant for its accompanying preface, which became a seminal manifesto of French Romanticism and a direct attack on the conventions of Classical French theatre.

Historical context and background

Hugo wrote *Cromwell* during the Bourbon Restoration in France, a period of renewed political and artistic conservatism following the upheavals of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The choice of Oliver Cromwell as a subject was provocative, reflecting Hugo's fascination with monumental, contradictory historical figures who shaped nations, much like Napoleon Bonaparte. The English Civil War provided a rich tableau for exploring themes of revolution, legitimacy, and tyranny, which resonated with post-revolutionary Europe. Hugo's research drew upon contemporary historical sources and the works of Walter Scott, whose Waverley Novels popularized the historical novel. The play's composition coincided with a fierce literary debate in Paris between adherents of the rigid unities of neoclassicism and a new generation of writers seeking artistic freedom.

Plot summary

The drama is set in London in 1657, as Oliver Cromwell is being petitioned by Parliament to become King of England. The plot intertwines political machinations with a romantic subplot involving Cromwell's daughter, Frances Cromwell, and a young Royalist lord, Lord Rochester. Various factions, including Puritan zealots, ambitious military officers like John Lambert, and covert Cavalier conspirators, maneuver to influence Cromwell's decision. The action culminates in a lengthy scene where Cromwell, after much soliloquizing on the nature of power and his own legacy, ultimately refuses the crown, asserting his authority as Lord Protector. The play concludes with the dissolution of the Parliament and the consolidation of Cromwell's personal rule, foreshadowing the eventual Restoration of the monarchy.

Characters

The play features an extensive dramatis personae of over sixty characters, blending historical figures with fictional creations. Central historical characters include the protagonist Oliver Cromwell; his son and reluctant successor, Richard Cromwell; the defeated Charles I of England, who appears as a ghost; the poet and secretary John Milton; and the general Thomas Fairfax. Key fictional characters are the Roundhead intriguer Mazarin (not to be confused with the Cardinal Mazarin of France), the fanatical Puritan Israel Traphois, and the Cavalier Lord Rochester. The large ensemble represents the diverse social and ideological currents of Commonwealth society, from soldiers and preachers to courtiers and conspirators.

Themes and analysis

Hugo uses the figure of Oliver Cromwell to explore the complex psychology of the revolutionary leader, depicting him as a blend of genius, ambition, and profound melancholy. A central theme is the corrupting nature of absolute power and the isolation it brings. The play contrasts the austere, often hypocritical, world of the Puritan regime with the vitality and passion of the Royalist underground, a dichotomy typical of Romanticism. Hugo also examines the conflict between political necessity and personal morality, and the cyclical nature of history, where revolution begets tyranny. The dramatic structure itself, which mixes lofty tragedy with grotesque comedy and lyrical poetry, was intended to mirror the Shakespearean model of historical drama, embracing the full spectrum of human experience.

Reception and critical response

Upon its publication, *Cromwell* was not staged, with its performance deemed impractical due to a running time estimated to exceed eight hours and immense production demands. Critical response to the text was mixed, with some praising its poetic ambition and others criticizing its verbosity and lack of dramatic focus. However, the play's true impact and lasting fame stem entirely from its **Préface de Cromwell**. This lengthy essay launched a vehement assault on the Aristotelian Unities of time, place, and action enforced by the Académie Française. Hugo championed the grotesque as a vital aesthetic principle, arguing for the mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous, as found in the works of William Shakespeare. The preface became a foundational text for the Romantic movement in France, directly influencing later works like *Hernani*, which sparked the famous Battle of Hernani.

Adaptations and legacy

While *Cromwell* itself has never had a significant stage production, its influence is profound in literary history. The principles outlined in its preface paved the way for the triumph of Romantic drama on the French stage. Elements of Hugo's portrayal of Oliver Cromwell can be seen in later cultural depictions, from 19th-century historiography to modern film and television. The play remains a subject of study primarily as a literary and theoretical curiosity, a monumental but unperformable work whose accompanying manifesto did more to change the course of European theatre than the drama it introduced.

Category:1827 plays Category:Plays by Victor Hugo Category:French Romantic plays Category:Plays set in the 17th century Category:Unperformed plays