The French Face of Ophelia from Belleforest to Baudelaire

A unique and comprehensive examination of the character of Ophelia from its pre-Shakespearean origins in France, in Belleforest's Histoires tragiques (1570), through three centuries of metamorphosis in French literature and culture. Attention is focused on the singularly French perception of Ophelia's active, provocative role as presented by Belleforest and Shakespeare, and subsequently by Prevost, Voltaire, Laplace, Ducis, Diderot, Stael, Stendhal, Guizot, Hugo, Sand, Musset, Gautier, Delacroix, Dumas, Baudelaire, and others. This book differs from previous studies in its emphasis on the role of Ophelia as a vital, capable agent in the drama of Hamlet, who captivated the attention and imagination of French authors, translators and critics.