«À la santé... du spectateur !»

Résumé En

Pierre Peyronnet : Drinking to the health of the audience. A study of some seventy-five plays enables us to analyse their use of Dionysos, who inspired the theatre and invented wine, through an examination of mythical references, his influence and his benign power. Although the god does not appear in any works in the grand style, ballet-opera favours depictions of his loves and gives rise to rejoicing, as do feasts in honour of a lord. Depicting the wine harvest itself is an occasion for enjoyment or amorous conquests, as wine frees inhibitions, and its drink predisposes one to universal love. It also enables the plays to represent on stage hard-working landowners, peasants harvesting, and above all often noisy drinkers. Drunkenness is rarely represented, or if it is, it is shown as despicable and enables the authors to moralise. Nevertheless, the French seem to be indulgent, even acquiescent or participants in the venal sins encouraged by Bacchus, the most popular of the gods.