Alexandre Dumas wrote "Olympe de Clèves" in 1852. "Olympe de Clèves" is a
lengthy, vividly written historical romance set in Avignon, Lyon, and
Paris in 1727-1729. In the fictional actress Olympe, Dumas created one of
his most vividly realized and "modern" female characters, a woman of
personal integrity and independent means who can live and love as she sees
fit. In the words of the Duc de Richelieu, "These infernal theatrical
women, when they have once lowered themselves, are unmanageable. Ah! the
woman who emancipates herself is worth ten men; but she has treated you
badly, my poor friend."
The novel opens in Avignon with the young Jesuit novice, Bannière, being
spotted by his superiors reading a play, by the proscribed author Voltaire.
Confined to a cell to encourage repentance, Bannière escapes and makes his
way to a theatre which, coincidentally, is presenting Voltaire's play. The
theatrical troupe has been thrown into confusion by sudden departure of a
key actor, and Bannière, having read the play so often that he has it
memorized, is pressed into service to play the part of the missing actor.
Bannière meets his leading lady, the actress Olympe de Clèves, but is
forced to flee when two Jesuit fathers, attending the play to gain
intelligence on the works of the devil, recognize him on stage. Olympe is
at loose ends, having just been dumped by her lover, the Comte de Mailly,
who has elected to get married. Olympe is taken with Bannière, and the
couple decamp to Lyon, where they earn a comfortable living in the
provincial theatre.
However, Bannière becomes addicted to gambling. Dumas' description of
Bannière's addiction is strikingly vivid and realistic, and parallels a
similar description in La femme au collier de velours. Olympe becomes
estranged from Bannière, and one of his rivals, the corrupt Abbé d'Hoirac,
arranges for Bannière arrested as a Jesuit escapee. When the Comte de
Mailly returns, having tired of his new wife, Olympe and the Count depart
for Paris, and Bannière escapes jail by joining the Army as a dragoon.
Learning that Olympe has left, he deserts from the dragoons, sells his
horse and equipage, and himself heads for Paris.
The second half of the novel is set in Paris, where Olympe makes her debut
on the Parisian stage just in time to be noticed by the 18 year-old,
recently married, Louis XV (1710-1774). Louis' wife, Queen Marie
(1703-1768), is frigid, and various groups of courtiers abetted by the
Prime Minister, Cardinal André-Hercule de Fleury (d. 1744), conspire to
provide him with a mistress with the right combination of pliability and
influence.
The candidate of the corrupt Duc de Richelieu (1696-1788, one of Dumas'
favorite historical characters) was none other than Louise-Julie, the
neglected wife of the Comte de Mailly. The candidate of the Captain of the
King's Guard, the Duc de Pecquigney, is Olympe. The courtiers maneuver to
bring their respective candidates to the attention of the King, while the
Comte de Mailly goes crazy alternately trying to prevent the attentions
paid to his wife and his mistress.
Meanwhile, Bannière, having arrived in Paris, tries to force his way into
the theatre where Olympe is playing, and finds himself condemned to
Charenton as a madman.
Dumas collects the scattered threads of his plot at the end. Louis XV is
corrupted, but gets the Countess de Mailly, the Duc de Richelieu gains
favor with the King, Bannière and Olympe are reconciled and wed, the Comte
de Mailly is made Ambassador to Vienna. However, just as the curtain is
about to fall, Bannière is arrested as a deserter from the dragoons, and
sentenced to death. oh-oh...better keep reading 'til the final page.
