Date of birth: 1694- 1778
Title: poet, playwright, essayist, novelist, historian and philosopher.
Country: France
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Francois Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire, was an important figure in the French Enlightenment. He has a lot of knowledge, including 100 poets, playwrights, essayists, novelists, historians and philosophers. He is an advocate of free thought and liberalism.
Voltaire 1694 was born in a middle-class family in Paris, and his father was a lawyer. When Voltaire was a teenager, he studied in the Great Louis College founded by Jesuits, and also studied law for a while, but he soon gave up. When he was young in Paris, he soon became famous: he was quick-thinking, full of fun, laughing and cursing, and became a poem. However, under the old French system, such people would be in danger. Voltaire was thrown into the Bastille for writing some political poems. He spent nearly a year in prison. During this period, he wrote the epic "Henrietta", which was widely praised. Shortly after Voltaire was released in 17 18, his play Oedipus was staged in Paris and achieved great success. Voltaire became famous at the age of twenty-four, and for the next sixty years, he was a major figure in French literature.
Voltaire is not only a master of language, but also knows how to make money. He gradually became a lonely rich man. But at 1762, he had some trouble. Voltaire has become the most astute and famous orator of his time (perhaps beyond time and space), but some French nobles think that he lacks the humility that a civilian should have. This led to an open debate between Voltaire and such a noble Rouen knight. Voltaire outsmarted him in the argument, making the other side dumbfounded and ashamed. But not long after, the knight instigated a mob to suddenly beat Voltaire and later put him in the Bastille prison. Voltaire agreed to leave France and was soon released from prison. So he went to England and lived there for about two and a half years.
Voltaire's life in England was a major turning point in his life. He studies English and reads John? ; ; ; Works of British celebrities such as Locke, Francis Bacon, isaac newton and william shakespeare. He also met with most of the leading British thinkers at that time. Shakespeare, English science and empiricism all left a deep impression on Voltaire. What impressed him most was the British political system. Britain's democracy and individual freedom are in sharp contrast with Voltaire's political situation in France. No English aristocrat can issue a secret order to drive Voltaire to prison. If Voltaire is detained for some improper reason, a writ of habeas corpus can release him immediately.
Voltaire returned to France and wrote his first important philosophical work, Philosophical Correspondence, which is often called English Letters. The book was published in 1734, marking the real beginning of the French Enlightenment. In the book On English Letters, Voltaire expressed his views on the British political system and John F.? ; ; ; Locke and other British thinkers made a generally favorable description. The publication of the book aroused the anger of the French authorities, and Voltaire was forced to leave Paris.
Voltaire spent most of the next fifteen years in Sire, eastern France. There, he became the lover of Lady Chatterley, the smart and elegant wife of a marquis. After her death 1750, Voltaire went to Germany at the personal invitation of Frederick, King of Prussia. Voltaire spent three years in Potsdam, Frederick's official residence. At first, he had a close relationship with Frederick, a talented and intelligent man, but they finally had an argument. Voltaire left Germany on 1753.
After leaving Germany, Voltaire settled in a manor near Geneva, where he could escape the persecution of the king of France and Prussia. But his liberal views even put him in a little danger in Switzerland. So in 1758, he moved to a new manor in Fournies near the border between France and Switzerland. There, if the authorities give him trouble, he can have two escape routes He lived there for twenty years, wrote many literary and philosophical works, corresponded with cultural leaders all over Europe, and received tourists.
Over the years, the number of Voltaire's literary works has not decreased. He is an incredibly prolific writer, perhaps the author with the largest number of works among the characters in this book. His collection of works has a total of more than 30 thousand pages. These include epics, lyric poems, letters, essays, novels, short stories, plays and important historical and philosophical works.
Voltaire has always been a staunch believer in freedom of religious belief, but when he was nearly seventy years old, several shocking persecution incidents occurred in France. In anger, he devoted himself to the intellectual crusade against religious fanaticism. He wrote many political pamphlets attacking religious intolerance. He also likes to end each of his personal letters with "ErasezI infame", which means destroying notorious things. For Voltaire, this notorious thing is religious bigotry and fanaticism.
1778, 83-year-old Voltaire returned to Paris, where he attended the first performance of his new play Goddess of Peace. Many spectators cheered him and called him the "great old man" of the French Enlightenment. Hundreds of admirers, including Benjamin? ; ; ; Franklin has been to his house. But Voltaire's life soon ended, and he died in Paris on May 30th, 1778. Because of his outspoken opposition to clericalism, he could not hold a Christian funeral in Paris. But 13 years later, the victorious French revolutionaries dug up his body and reburied it in the great hall of Paris.
Voltaire's works are numerous, so it is difficult to list his main works in a short essay. But what is more important is the basic ideas put forward in his life. One of his strongest beliefs is that freedom of speech and the press must be practiced. There is a saying that people often think that he said, "I don't agree with what you said, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Although Voltaire has never actually made such a clear statement, it undoubtedly reflects his attitude.
Another principle of Voltaire is his belief in religious freedom. Throughout his life, he has always opposed religious freedom and religious persecution. Although Voltaire believed in God, he resolutely opposed most religious dogmas and constantly pointed out that organized religion was fundamentally hypocritical.
Naturally, Voltaire never believed that French aristocrats with titles were smarter or kinder than him, and his audience fully understood that the so-called "divine right of kingship" was nonsense. Although Voltaire himself is far from being a modern Democrat (he tends to support a powerful and enlightened monarch), his main ideas clearly and prominently oppose any form of hereditary system. Therefore, it is conceivable that most of his followers just agree with democracy; His political and religious thoughts were in the mainstream of the French Enlightenment and made substantial contributions to the French 1789 Revolution.
Voltaire himself is not a scientist, but he is interested in science. Is that Francis? ; ; ; Bacon and John? ; ; ; A staunch supporter of Locke's experimental view. He is an important and talented historian, and one of his most important works is his general history of the world "On National Customs and National Spirit". The difference between this book and most previous history books is mainly reflected in two aspects: first, Voltaire admitted that Europe is only a small part of the world, so a large part of this book is about the history of Asia; Second, Voltaire thinks that cultural history is generally far more important than political history. Therefore, his book is mainly about the socio-economic situation and artistic development, not about the war between the king and them.
As a philosopher, Voltaire is far less innovative in this book than others. To a great extent, he absorbed the views of others, such as John Locke and Francis Bacon, and narrated them to make them popular. It is through Voltaire's works (more than anyone else's) that the concepts of democratic politics, religious freedom and freedom of thought spread throughout France and many other parts of Europe. Although there are many other important writers in the French Enlightenment (Diderot, Alembert, Rousseau, Montesquieu, etc. ), it should be said that Voltaire is an outstanding leader of this movement. First of all, his pungent literary style, long career and numerous works make him have more audiences than any other writer. Second, his thought represents the whole enlightenment thought. Third, in terms of time, he appeared before all other important people. Montesquieu's masterpiece Yi Fa didn't come out until 1748; The first volume of the famous encyclopedia was published in 175 1. Rousseau's first paper was written in 175 1. But Voltaire's letters about the English were published in 1734, and he was already famous 16 years when this book was published.
Voltaire's works, except the short story "Honest Man", have few readers today, but they have a very wide audience in the18th century. Therefore, Voltaire played an important role in the change of public opinion that eventually led to the French Revolution. His influence is not limited to France: Americans like Thomas Jefferson, james madison and Benjamin Franklin are also familiar with his works.
It is interesting to compare Voltaire with Jean Jacques Rosso, a famous contemporary writer. Voltaire's whole world outlook is a strong rationalism, and he is more in the mainstream of the Enlightenment than the sentimental Rousseau. In the eighteenth century, Voltaire was the most influential of the two; But Rousseau is a more creative person, and his works have great influence today.
Introduction to Hugo
Victor hugo is the leader of the French Romantic Movement and one of the greatest writers in the history of French literature. His life almost spanned the whole19th century, and his literary career lasted for 60 years, with enduring creation. His romanticism
The novel is wonderful and moving, vigorous and powerful, and has permanent charm for readers.
Hugo 1802 was born in Shaoshangsong City in the south of France. My grandfather is a carpenter, and my father is an officer in the China army. He was awarded the rank of general by Joseph Bonaparte, the brother of King Napoleon of Spain, and was a close friend of the king.
Hugo was brilliant and began to write poems at the age of 9. /kloc-Reading Music written at the age of 0/5 won the French Academy Award; At the age of 20, the King of Louis Stanislas Xavier gave him an annuity to publish a collection of poems, Odes and Miscellaneous Poems.
1827, Hugo published the play Cromwell and its preface. Although the script failed to perform, the preface is
It is regarded as a declaration of French romanticism and an epoch-making document in the history of literature. It greatly promoted the development of French romantic literature.
From 65438 to 0830, Hugo's play Onani was staged in the Grand Theatre of the French Academy, which had a great influence and established the leading position of romanticism in French literature.
Onani tells the story of a robber from Spain, Onani, who rebelled against the king in the16th century. Hugo praised the robber's chivalry and aristocratic temperament, showing a strong anti-feudal tendency.
1830 In July, the "July Revolution" occurred in France, and the feudal restoration dynasty was overthrown. Hugo enthusiastically praised the revolution, the revolutionaries, and wrote poems to mourn the heroes who died in the street fighting.
Notre Dame de Paris, published in 183 1, is Hugo's most romantic novel. The plot of this novel is fantastic.
This tension is vivid, unpredictable, dramatic and legendary.
The story happened in the Middle Ages. On April Fool's Day, wandering gypsy artists performed songs and dances in the square. A gypsy girl named Esmeralda attracted passers-by. She dances beautifully.
At this moment, Claude frollo, the vice bishop of Notre Dame, suddenly fell in love with the beautiful Melada. His heart was burning with the fire of desire and he fell madly in love with her. So he ordered the church bell ringer, and ugly quasimodo took Esmeralda away. As a result, Fabi, the captain of the French king's bow and arrow, saved Esmeralda and captured quasimodo. He took the bell ringer to the square and whipped him, but the kind gypsy girl gave quasimodo water to drink.
The bell ringer is ugly in appearance, but pure and noble in heart. He was very grateful to Esmeralda and fell in love with her. Naive Esmeralda fell in love with Fabi at first sight. When they were dating, frollo followed them quietly. Out of jealousy, he stabbed Fabi with a knife and ran away. Hermes Rada was sentenced to death for murder. Quasimodo took Esmeralda out from under the gallows and hid it in Notre Dame. Frollo took the opportunity to threaten gypsy girls to satisfy his lust. After being rejected, he handed her over to the king's army and the innocent girl was hanged. Quasimodo angrily pushed frollo out of the church and died. He hugged Esmeralda's body and died.
The novel shows Hugo's strong hatred for the feudal government and the church, and also reflects his deep sympathy for the lower classes.
After the "July Revolution", France established the "July" ruled by the big bourgeoisie headed by the financier Louis Philippe.
Dynasty. "The July dynasty has been wooing Hugo. 184 1 year, Hugo was elected to the French Academy. 1845, Louis Philippe made him a French aristocrat and became a member of the French Academy. Hugo's enthusiasm for struggle in creation has weakened. 1843, he wrote a mysterious play "garrison officer", which was booed by the audience and failed. Hugo was silent for nearly 10 years without writing.
1848 In June, the people of Paris held a revolution, overthrew the July Dynasty and established the Republic of China. Hugo didn't understand the revolution at first, but when the big bourgeoisie plotted to destroy the Republic, Hugo became a staunch pacifist. 185 1 65438 In February, louis bonaparte staged a coup, and Hugo participated in the anti-coup uprising organized by * * * and party member. After louis bonaparte came to power, the Second Empire of France was established. He pursued a policy of terror and ruthlessly suppressed the rebels. Hugo was persecuted and had to go into exile.
During his exile, Hugo persisted in his struggle with Charles Louis Napolé on Bonaparte. He wrote political satirical pamphlets and poems and lashed out at Charles Louis Napolé on Bonaparte's dictatorship. During this period, he published the novels Les Miserables, Marine Laborers and Smiling Man.
Les Miserables is Hugo's masterpiece. The plot of the novel is roughly like this: Jean Valjean, a poor worker from a peasant background, once saw his sister's child crying with hunger and went to steal bread. Unfortunately, he was caught and sentenced to five years in prison. He escaped from prison many times, was arrested and sentenced to 14 years in prison. As a result, he spent 19 years in prison for a piece of bread. After he got out of prison, Jean Valjean was looked down upon everywhere, with no job and no food. He vowed to take revenge on society. At this time, a bishop named milian influenced him, and he was determined to do good deeds and be a good person.
He changed his name to Madeleine, set up a factory in a city and became a rich man. He provides jobs for the poor and gives them food and houses. He was always ready to help others and was elected mayor by the citizens. At this time, a girl named Shan Ting came to the city. She is a rural girl who went to work in the city and was cheated into giving birth to a daughter. She put her daughter Cosette in foster care with the owner of a hotel. The boss is a villain and took the opportunity to blackmail her. Munting was forced to sell her beautiful hair and teeth and become a prostitute. Finally, she was down and out, dying. When Jean Valjean heard this, he took care of her immediately and promised to take care of her after her death.
Raising her daughter Cosette. At this time, the police Javert was chasing Jean Valjean, a convict who had been missing for many years. In Madeleine, he arrested a poor worker, thinking that he was Jean Valjean, and was going to send him to prison. In order to save innocent workers, Jean Valjean stepped forward and voluntarily admitted his identity. He fell into the hands of the police again. On the way to the prison, he managed to escape.
Jean Valjean immediately found Cosette and hid her in a secluded monastery. Over the years, Cosette has grown into a beautiful girl who fell in love with Marius, a Republican. 1832, an uprising led by the party broke out in Paris and was brutally suppressed by the July dynasty. Marius was seriously injured, and Jean Valjean risked his life to save him from the sewer. At this time, Javert sneaked into the rebel army for reconnaissance, was caught and sentenced to death. Jean Valjean executed the order and shot Javert, but Jean Valjean let Javert go. Javert was ashamed of Jean Valjean's noble personality and committed suicide by throwing himself into the river.
Cosette married Marius, and the young man was very happy. Jean Valjean left a lonely life, and finally he died in Cosette's arms.
Les Miserables exposes the sharp contradiction and disparity between the rich and the poor in capitalist society, describes the painful fate of the lower class, and puts forward three problems that need to be solved urgently in society at that time: "Poverty makes men poor, hunger makes women degenerate, and darkness makes children weak", and lashes out at the hypocrisy of bourgeois laws. It fully reflects the social and political life of France in the first half of the19th century.
Therefore, the novel is welcomed by people all over the world. In the 20th century, it was adapted into a film for many times, which also attracted countless audiences.
1870 When the Franco-Prussian War broke out, after France was defeated in Sedan, the Prussian army pushed Paris. At the critical moment of national peril, Hugo returned to the motherland after 19 years in exile. He made speeches everywhere, calling on the French people to rise up against the German aggressors and defend the motherland. He also bought two cannons with the reward of his work and reading poems, which showed his lofty patriotism.
Hugo didn't understand the revolution during the Paris Commune uprising. However, when the commune failed and the reactionary government frantically suppressed the commune members, Hugo angrily condemned the cruelty of the reactionaries. He called for the pardon of all commune members and announced in the newspaper that his residence in Brussels, Belgium would be used as a refuge for exiled members. To this end, his home was attacked by reactionary thugs, and he almost died, but he still held his ground.
Hugo died in 1885. The French people held a state funeral for this great poet. His body was buried in the pantheon built for the burial of great men.