Hugo - Victor Hugo

Japanese: ユゴー - ゆごー（英語表記）Victor Hugo

French poet, novelist, and playwright. Born in Besançon on February 26th, the third son of Léopold Hugo, an officer under Napoleon, and Sophie Trébuchet, a royalist woman born in Nantes. During his childhood, he moved from place to place with his father, who was posted to Italy, Spain, and other places, and later moved to Paris with his estranged mother to receive his education. Feuillantine, which he later wrote about in his famous poems such as "Contemplations," was where he lived at the time, and was involved in the spiritual formation of his childhood with his mother Sophie, his godfather Lahory, and the priest with whom he learned Latin.

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Beginning as a royalist writer

Hugo was passionate about literature from an early age, and won first prize at the Academie d'Art et le Fleur-de-lis in Toulouse in 1819, and made his debut as a poet with the publication of "Conservatore Littéraire" and his first collection of poems "Odes and Miscellany" (1822). However, his early works had a strong Catholic and royalist color due to the influence of his mother. In October 1822, he married Adèle Foucher. The poetry collections he produced during this period, such as "Odes and Ballades" (1826), which shows his admiration for the beauty of medieval painting, and "Poems from the East" (1829), which is exotic and heavily references the Greek War of Independence, show his sensitive response to the tastes of the time. His novels, such as The Han of Iceland (1823), Byg Jargal (1826), which depicts the self-sacrifice of a romantic protagonist set in a slave revolt in Santo Domingo, and The Last Day of the Condemned (1829), already show signs of an ideological shift to the left.

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Leader of the Romantic Era

During this period, Hugo's activities as a leader of the Romantic movement began to gain momentum on the theatrical stage. In 1827, he wrote a lengthy preface to his play Cromwell, which provided a synthesis to the numerous debates over new forms of theatre, and this preface in effect became a manifesto for Romanticism. The salon of Charles Nodier, who was then director of the Arsenal library, was the birthplace of the Romantic movement, but in 1827, Hugo himself took the lead in opening a "cénacle" at his home on the Rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, gathering writers and artists, and becoming its leader in both name and reality. As for playwriting, his work "Marion de l'Orme" (1829) was once accepted by the Comédie-Française, but was banned before rehearsals had even begun, so he quickly began work on "Hernani," which he completed in less than a month. Its premiere at the Comédie-Française sparked the so-called "Hernani Battle" (a brawl between the classical and romantic audience), but it overwhelmed the audience and ushered in the heyday of romantic drama. Hugo's greatest achievement in the field of drama was that he made the twelve-syllable verse form that had traditionally been used in verse drama more flexible by using enjambement (crosstalk) and mots propres (propres), both of which were forbidden in classical poetic method, and created a style of writing suitable for the new theater.

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Political shift

In July 1830, the July Revolution broke out in the wake of the extremely reactionary decrees of Polignac. Hugo wrote poems praising the young heroes of the revolution and published them in the liberal newspaper Globe, clearly marking his departure from the right-wing camp. In the following year, his Scott-esque long historical novel Notre-Dame de Paris was published and achieved great success, but his poetry marked a complete transformation and showed a deepening of his innermost thoughts. These included Autumn Leaves (1831, including "When the Children Come..."), Song of Twilight (1835), which included a variety of themes such as politics and history in addition to his personal life, Les Voices Inners (1837), and Light and Shadow (1840, including "The Sorrows of Olympio"). In the early 1830s, shocking events struck his private life - his love affair with his friend Sainte-Beuve and his beloved wife Adèle, and his meeting with Juliette Drouet (1833), who would become his lifelong love - and these experiences made Hugo a deeper human being. In his plays, he approached melodrama with three prose plays, including Lucretia Borgia (1833), which were commercially successful, but his best play was the verse play L'huys Bras (1838), which depicted a character symbolizing the future of the people in a romantic plot about a servant in love with a queen, and also predicted Hugo's own future political stance. However, the heyday of romantic drama had already passed, and he stopped writing plays after the failure of the epic play Les Chateaus in 1843. The drowning of his newlywed eldest daughter Léopoldine and her husband Charles Vacquerie that same year also brought about the shock, and Hugo put aside his writing for a time to devote himself to politics. Already a member of the Académie Française (1841), he was elected to the Senate in 1845 and to the Republican Party during the February Revolution of 1848, helping to install Louis Napoleon as president, but when Napoleon subsequently became reactionary and staged a coup d'état aimed at establishing an empire, he immediately fought back and was banished from the country, beginning the 19 years of exile that followed.

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Life in exile

He first went into exile in Brussels, then moved to the island of Jersey (1852) in the English Channel, and then to the island of Guernsey (1855), where he devoted himself to writing. After 13 years of silence, he wrote "Little Napoleon" (1852), in which he denounced the oppression of Louis Napoleon and expressed republican ideals in "Les Punishments" (1853). He then produced "Les Contemplations" (1856), considered his greatest poetic work, the first volume of "Legends of the Centuries" (1859), considered the greatest French epic poem, expressing the idea of human progress, and the youthful and light-hearted "L'honneur et les civitas" (1865). It was during this period that he completed the full-length novel "Les Miserables" (1862), which made his name famous across time and borders. The story of Jean Valjean, a prisoner who is reborn through the light given to him by Bishop Myriel and lives a life of love and devotion, has been in the works for 30 years as a social novel that deals with the suffering of the people, and can be said to be the culmination of Hugo's thought. "The Workers of the Sea" (1866), which forms part of a trilogy with "Notre-Dame de Paris", was researched on the island of Guernsey. His other novels include "The Man Who Laughs" (1869).

[Mie Sato]

Indomitable years and glory

In 1870, after France's defeat in the Prussian-French War and the collapse of the Empire, Hugo was welcomed with joy in Paris, where the Republic had been established. After returning to France, he rejoined politics again, and in 1871 he was elected by popular suffrage from the Seine department, and occupied a left-wing position in the National Assembly, but he soon became disillusioned with the new regime and resigned. Hugo then suffered a major blow when he lost his second son, Charles, in 1871, and his third son, François-Victor (who had completed a complete translation of Shakespeare), in 1873, but he continued to write undeterred. His works from this period include "Ninety-three" (1874), which depicts the conflict between law and love in response to the royalist revolt during the Revolution, and "The Art of Grandfatherhood" (1877), which is a simple, gentle, moving work about the love of his second son Charles for his two orphaned children, Georges and Jeanne. The first edition sold out in a few days and was so popular that it was reprinted again and again. Hugo, who was a very healthy man, suffered his first mild cerebral hemorrhage in the following year, 1878, and his works, mainly written during his exile, were published one after another by his students. These include "The Supreme Pity" (1879), "The Donkey" (1880), "The Four Winds of the Mind" (1881), his last verse play "Torquemada" (1882), and a sequel to "Legends of the Centuries" (1877, 1883).

In 1881, Hugo celebrated his 80th birthday, and the people of Paris organized a celebratory procession to celebrate his longevity. The street where he lived at the time was renamed the Avenue Victor Hugo. However, he also lost his youngest daughter Adèle and his lifelong lover and faithful assistant Juliette (1883), and on May 22, 1885, this immortal old man also died. Despite his will stating, "I bequeath 50,000 francs to the poor. I would like to be carried to the cemetery in their hearse," a state funeral was held that was even more lavish than the birthday celebration, and his body was placed under the Arc de Triomphe and buried in the Pantheon, seen off by 2 million citizens.

Hugo's humanism, practiced throughout the 19th century through his unparalleled creative ability and bold political activities, made him a national hero, but his true genius was especially found in his poetic creations. As Valéry said, "Poets of his time were forced to forge their own unique realm in order not to be eclipsed by Hugo's light...," Hugo penetrated deep into the source of human emotion with his inexhaustible vocabulary and perfect command of imagery, becoming a major cornerstone of modern French poetry.

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"Victor Hugo: Poetry, Love and Revolution, volumes 1 and 2, by A. Mauroy, translated by Tsuji Akira and Yokoyama Shoji (1961, Shinchosha)" ▽ "The Life of Victor Hugo, by Tsuji Akira (1979, Ushio Publishing)" ▽ "People Who Created the World 24: Victor Hugo, edited and translated by Akai Akira (1980, Heibonsha)" ▽ "Oriental Poetry Collection, translated by Tsuji Akira (included in World Famous Poetry Collection 2, 1960, Heibonsha)" ▽ "The Last Day of a Death Row Inmate, translated by Toyoshima Yoshio (Iwanami Bunko)" ▽ "Hugo Poetry Collection, translated by Tsuji Akira and Inagaki Naoki (1984, Ushio Publishing)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

フランスの詩人、小説家、劇作家。2月26日、ナポレオン麾下(きか)の将校レオポルド・ユゴーLéopold Hugoとナント生まれの王党派の女性ソフィー・トレビュッシェSophie Trébuchetの三男としてブザンソンに生まれる。幼時はイタリア、スペインなど父の配属地を転々とし、のち別居中の母とともにパリに移り教育を受ける。後年『静観詩集』その他の著名な詩のなかでうたわれるフイヤンティーヌは当時の住居があった所で、母親ソフィーや代父ラオリー、ラテン語を学んだ神父などとともに幼時の精神形成に関与した。

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王党派作家として出発

ユゴーは早くから文学に熱中し、1819年トゥールーズの文華アカデミー・コンクールで一等賞を受賞、『コンセルバトゥール・リテレール』の発刊、処女詩集『オードと雑詠集』（1822）の出版で詩人としてデビューするが、初期作品には母親の影響でカトリック的、王党派的色彩が強い。22年10月アデール・フーシェAdèle Foucherと結婚。この時期の詩集は中世の絵画美への憧(あこが)れを示す『オードとバラード集』（1826）、ギリシア独立戦争に多く取材したエキゾチックな『東方詩集』（1829）で時代の好みへの敏感な反応を示す。小説では『アイスランドのハン』（1823）、サント・ドミンゴの奴隷の反乱を舞台にロマン派的主人公の自己犠牲を描いた『ビュグ・ジャルガル』（1826）、そして『死刑囚最後の日』（1829）ではすでに思想的に左傾化の兆しがみえる。

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ロマン派の指導者

この時期ロマン派の指導者としてのユゴーの活動が演劇を舞台に本格化してくる。1827年戯曲『クロムウェル』につけた長文の序文によってユゴーは新演劇を模索する幾多の論争に一つの総合をもたらし、この序文は事実上ロマン主義の宣言書となった。当時アルスナル図書館長だったシャルル・ノディエのサロンがロマン派の推進母胎だったが、27年、ユゴー自身が中心となってノートル・ダム・デ・シャン街の自宅で作家・美術家を集めて「セナクル」cénacleを開き、名実ともに統率者となる。劇作ではコメディ・フランセーズにいったん受理された『マリオン・ド・ロルム』（1829）が稽古(けいこ)前に上演禁止になったため、急遽(きゅうきょ)『エルナニ』に着手、1か月足らずで完成、コメディ・フランセーズでの初演はいわゆる「エルナニ合戦」（観客の古典・ロマン両派の間に起きた乱闘騒ぎ）を引き起こしながらも観客を圧倒し、ロマン派劇全盛期を開く。古典主義的詩法では禁じられていた跨ぎ句(アンジャンブモン)enjambementや固有語(モ・プロプル)mots propresの使用によって、従来韻文劇に使用されてきた十二音綴詩型を柔軟化し、新しい演劇にふさわしい文体を創造したことが、とりわけ劇の分野でのユゴーの功績だった。

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政治的転向

1830年7月、ポリニャックの極端な反動的法令を契機に7月革命が起こる。ユゴーは革命の若い英雄たちをたたえる詩を書いて自由主義派の『グローブ』紙に掲載、はっきり右翼陣営からの転向をみせた。翌31年、スコット風の長編歴史小説『ノートル・ダム・ド・パリ』が出版され大成功をみるが、詩作品では一変して内面的深化をみせる。『秋の木の葉』（1831、「子供がやってくると……」を含む）、私生活のほかに政治や歴史など多様なテーマを盛った『薄明の歌』（1835）、『内心の声』（1837）、『光と影』（1840、「オランピオの悲しみ」を含む）などがそれである。30年代初め、衝撃的な事件が彼の私生活を襲う――友人サント・ブーブと愛妻アデールとの恋愛、そして彼の生涯の愛人となるジュリエット・ドルーエJuliette Drouetとの出会い（1833）――これらの体験がユゴーをより深く人間的にしたといえる。劇作では『リュクレス・ボルジア』（1833）を含む散文劇三編でメロドラマに近づき、興行的には成功したが、彼の最良の戯曲は韻文劇『リュイ・ブラス』（1838）で、王妃に恋する従僕というロマネスクな筋立てのなかに民衆の未来を象徴する人物を描いて、ユゴー自身の将来の政治姿勢をも予告した。しかしロマン派劇の全盛期はすでに去っており、43年の大叙事詩的演劇『城主たち』の失敗を最後に劇作から遠ざかる。またこの年、新婚早々だった長女レオポルディーヌLéopoldineと夫シャルル・バクリーCharles Vacquerieの溺死(できし)事件というショックも重なり、ユゴーはしばらく筆を置いて政治に専念する。すでにアカデミー・フランセーズの会員（1841）だった彼は、45年上院議員に、48年の二月革命では共和政議員に選出され、ルイ・ナポレオンの大統領就任に力を貸したが、その後ナポレオンが反動化して帝政樹立を目ざすクーデターを起こすと、ただちに反撃に出て国外追放となり、以後19年に及ぶ亡命生活が始まる。

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亡命生活

まずブリュッセルに亡命、ついでイギリス海峡のジャージー島（1852）、ガンジー島（1855）に移って創作に没頭する。13年の沈黙を破って『小ナポレオン』（1852）を書き、『懲罰詩集』（1853）でルイ・ナポレオンの圧政を痛罵(つうば)し、共和主義的理想を表明した。ついでユゴーの詩作の最高傑作といわれる『静観詩集』（1856）、人類進歩の思想を表明してフランス最大の叙事詩といわれる『諸世紀の伝説』の第一集（1859）、若々しく軽快な『街と森の歌』（1865）を出したが、ユゴーの名を時代と国境を越えて著名にした長編小説『レ・ミゼラブル』（1862）はこの期に完成した。ミリエル司教の与えた光明によって再生し、愛と献身に生きる囚人ジャン・バルジャンの物語は、民衆の苦悩をテーマとした社会小説として30年も前から温められてきただけに、ユゴーの思想の集大成といえる。先の『ノートル・ダム・ド・パリ』とともに三部作をなす『海に働く人々』（1866）は、ガンジー島で取材された。ほかに小説『笑う男』（1869）がある。

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不屈な晩年と栄光

1870年、プロイセン・フランス戦争の敗戦によって帝政が崩壊すると、ユゴーは共和政の成立したパリに歓呼をもって迎えられる。帰国後はふたたび政治に参加、71年普通選挙でセーヌ県から選出され、国民議会で左翼を占めるが、まもなく新体制に失望して辞任する。その後ユゴーは次男シャルルCharlesを71年に、三男フランソア・ビクトルFrançois-Victor（シェークスピア全訳を完成した）を73年に失うという大打撃を受けたが、なお屈せず創作を続けた。この期の作品は、大革命時代の王党派の反乱に取材し、法と愛の相克を描いた『93年』（1874）、そして次男シャルルの二人の遺児ジョルジュとジャンヌへの愛をテーマに、素朴で優しい感動に満ちた『おじいさんぶり』L'Art d'être grand-père（1877）は、初版が数日で売り切れ、次々と版を重ねるほど愛読された。頑健そのものだったユゴーも翌78年、初めて軽い脳出血にみまわれ、以後は主として亡命中に書かれたものが弟子たちの手で次々と出版される。『至上の憐憫(れんびん)』（1879）、『ろば』（1880）、『精神の四方の風』（1881）、最後の韻文劇『トルケマダ』（1882）、『諸世紀の伝説』続編（1877、83）など。

　1881年ユゴーは80歳の誕生日を迎え、パリ市民は祝賀行列を組んで彼の長寿を祝った。当時彼の住居があった通りはビクトル・ユゴー通りと改名された。しかし一方では、末娘アデールや生涯の愛人で忠実な助手でもあったジュリエットにも先だたれ（1883）、85年5月22日、この不死身の老人にも死が訪れる。「私は貧しい人々に5万フランを遺贈する。墓地には彼らの霊柩車(れいきゅうしゃ)で運ばれたい」という遺言にもかかわらず、先の誕生祝いにもまして盛大な国葬が営まれ、遺体は凱旋(がいせん)門下に安置され、200万の市民に見送られて偉人廟(パンテオン)に葬られた。

　19世紀を通じ比類ない創作力と果敢な政治活動によって実践したヒューマニズムは、ユゴーを国家的な偉人としたが、とりわけ彼の真の天才はその詩的創造にある。「彼とほぼ同時代の詩人たちはユゴーの光に消されまいとして独自の境地を開拓せざるをえなかった……」（バレリー）といわれるように、ユゴーはその無尽蔵な語彙(ごい)とイメージの完璧(かんぺき)な駆使によって人間の感動の源泉に深く突き入り、フランス近代詩の巨大な礎石となったのである。

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『A・モロワ著、辻昶・横山正二訳『ヴィクトル・ユゴー　詩と愛と革命』上下（1961・新潮社）』▽『辻昶著『ヴィクトル・ユゴーの生涯』（1979・潮出版社）』▽『赤井彰編訳『世界を創った人々24　ヴィクトル・ユゴー』（1980・平凡社）』▽『辻昶訳『東方詩集』（『世界名詩大成2』所収・1960・平凡社）』▽『豊島与志雄訳『死刑囚最後の日』（岩波文庫）』▽『辻昶・稲垣直樹訳『ユゴー詩集』（1984・潮出版社）』