François Hédelin, abbé d'Aubignac
A 17th-century cleric who shaped French classical drama with his rigid rules and audaciously argued that Homer was a myth.
1604–1676 (age 72)·French cleric and theatre critic·Birthday: August 4
Biography
François Hédelin, abbé d'Aubignac, codified the 'three unities' of time, place, and action into a doctrine dominating French theatre for generations. Born in 1604, his grandfather was the famed surgeon Ambroise Paré. Hédelin began in law before turning to the church. Cardinal Richelieu installed him as tutor to a nephew, granting entry into Paris's literary circles. After his pupil's death, he produced tragedies adhering strictly to neoclassical ideals. In a late work, he challenged Homer's existence. He died in 1676.
#1 When François Was Born
The biggest hits of 1604
François's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1604Born
1609Started school
1617Became a teenager
1620Could drive
1622Could vote
1625Turned 21
1634Turned 30
1644Turned 40
1654Turned 50
1664Turned 60
1674Turned 70
1676Died at 72
Key Achievements
- Authored 'La Pratique du Théâtre', a seminal 1657 treatise that formalized the rules of French classical drama.
- Served as a tutor under the patronage of Cardinal Richelieu, linking him to the center of French political and cultural power.
- Wrote a controversial work, 'Conjectures académiques', which argued that the Homeric epics were a compilation by multiple authors.
- Composed four tragedies between 1642 and 1650, including 'Zénobie' and 'La Pucelle d'Orléans'.
Did You Know?
He was the grandson of the pioneering French surgeon Ambroise Paré.
His full title was 'abbé d'Aubignac', referring to the abbey from which he drew income.
He engaged in a famous literary quarrel with Pierre Corneille over dramatic theory.
His work on Homer was published posthumously in 1715.
“The stage must never show what cannot be believed.”
