Jean Anouilh

French playwright. Born in Bordeaux. His father was a tailor and his mother played the violin in casinos in hot spring resorts. This environment is often used in his works. After dropping out of the law school at the University of Paris, he worked at an advertising agency and wrote his debut novels, "Humulus the Mute" (1929) and "Tangerines" (1929). After military service, he became secretary to Louis Jouvet, but did not make it in the world until actor Pierre Fresnay recognized his talent. In 1932, he attracted some attention with his performance of "Ten", and released "Jezebel" (1932), "A Ball for Thieves" (1932), "A Wild Woman" (1934), and "There Is a Prisoner" (1934). In "The Luggageless Traveler" (1936), directed by and starring the great actor Pitoev, he expressed his rejection and rebellion of common sense in the second life of an amnesiac. The success of this work (premiered in 1937) established his reputation, and he continued to release works at a rate of about one per year. At that time, he divided his works into a series of black tragedies and rose-colored comedies. In his black plays, the protagonist, who pursues purity, refuses to compromise with reality and falls into a catastrophe. The rejection of a foolish life goes beyond social criticism and develops into exposing the absurdity of life. On the other hand, in his rose-colored plays, he envelops a tainted life in a beautiful illusion, and young love is saved before the catastrophe. During the Second World War, his rejection of his earlier works took on a more fatalistic tone, as seen in Leocadia (1939) and Eurydice (1942), and Antigone (1942), which is based on Greek mythology and depicts a young woman who risks her life for pure freedom, and is considered his masterpiece. After the war, Romeo and Janet (1946) and Invitation to the Castle (1947) showed the maturity of his technique, and Rehearsal (1950) is a masterpiece from this series of "brilliant plays."

However, he was unable to come up with a theme, and in "Toreador's Waltz" (1952) and "Orniffle" (1955) he showed a tendency towards self-deprecation and a sense of redemption, resulting in a "creaky collection of plays." However, he succeeded in breaking new ground in historical dramas with "The Skylark" (1953), which depicts Joan of Arc, and "Becket" (1959), which has the theme of the friendship between a king and an archbishop, and compiled them into a "collection of costumed plays." After that, he continued to have success as a leading figure in the Paris theater with works such as "Antoine" (1969), "The Goldfish" (1970), and "The Navel" (1981), which feature a playwright as the protagonist who is tormented by the egos of those around him.

[Takashi Iwase]

"The Collected Works of Anouilh, edited by Suzuki Rikiei and Iwase Takashi, 3 volumes (1957, Hakusuisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランスの劇作家。ボルドーに生まれる。父は仕立屋で、母は温泉地のカジノなどでバイオリンを弾いていた。この環境はしばしば作品中に利用されている。パリ大学法学部中退後、広告会社に勤務し、処女作『唖(おし)のユミュリュス』（1929）や『蜜柑(みかん)』（1929）などを書く。兵役後、ルイ・ジューベの秘書となったが、俳優ピエール・フレネーがその才を認めるまで世に出られなかった。1932年『貂(てん)』の上演で一部の注目をひき、『ジェザベル』（1932）、『泥棒たちの舞踏会』（1932）、『野生の女』（1934）、『囚人ありき』（1934）を発表、名優ピトエフの演出・主演した『荷物のない旅行者』（1936）で記憶喪失者の第二の人生をめぐって常識の拒否と反抗をあらわにし、その成功（1937初演）で名声を確立、以後約1年1作の割合で作品を発表していく。当時、自ら作品を黒の悲劇的系列とバラ色の喜劇的系列とに分けた。黒い戯曲では、純粋性を追求する主人公が現実との妥協を拒んで破局に陥る。愚劣な人生の拒否は社会批判の域を出て生の不条理を暴く方向へ発展する。一方、バラ色の戯曲では、美しい幻想で汚れた人生を包み込み、破局の前に若者の愛が救われる。第二次世界大戦下では初期作品の拒否の姿勢が宿命論的色彩を深め、『レオカディア』（1939）、『ユリディス』（1942）に表れ、『アンチゴーヌ』（1942）はギリシア神話に取材して純粋な自由に命をかける乙女を描き、代表作とされる。戦後『ロミオとジャネット』（1946）、『城への招待』（1947）は技巧の円熟をみせ、『舞台稽古(けいこ)』（1950）はこの系列の「輝かしい戯曲集」の代表作である。

　しかし主題に行き詰まって、『闘牛士のワルツ』（1952）、『オルニッフル』（1955）では自嘲(じちょう)的な傾向が目だち贖罪(しょくざい)感が表れ、「きしむ戯曲集」となったが、ジャンヌ・ダルクを描く『ひばり』（1953）、国王と大司教の友情を主題とした『ベケット』（1959）で史劇への新生面を開くのに成功、「衣装を着た戯曲集」にまとめられた。そののち、周囲のエゴに苦しむ劇作家を主人公とする『アントアーヌ』（1969）、『金魚』（1970）、『へそ』（1981）などでパリ劇壇の第一人者として成功を続ける。

［岩瀬　孝］

『鈴木力衛・岩瀬孝編『アヌイ作品集』全3巻（1957・白水社）』

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