Abstract
The extract has been taken from Act IV Scene I of Corneille's "L'Illusion Comique? and is a soliloquy, delivered by Isabelle. It takes place just over half way through the play, after Clindor, the man whom she loves, is sentenced to death. The passage is divided into two main sections. The first part conveys the themes of love and suffering and the second half conveys the themes of anger and death. These themes are conveyed through the use of vocabulary, structure and sound imagery. The first half of the extract is from ll 1007-1016 and the theme of love is conveyed through the use of words like "mon c'ur enflammé" (ll 1007), "d'avoir bien aimé" (ll 1008) and "mon amour" (ll 1009). These words have connotations of love and passion, which reflect how Isabelle feels about Clindor. In ll 1012 Isabelle reveals the full extent of her feelings by saying "Je veux perdre la vie en perdant mon amour" which is a very powerful statement. She is telling the audience that she will do anything to be with Clindor, even kill herself so that "Nos esprits amoureux [peuvent] rejoindre là-bas" (ll 1016). The effect of soliloquy is a buildup of tension that grips the audience so that they are waiting on the edge of their seats to find out what is going to happen. The fervor of feeling conveyed, also serves to provide a contrast to her feelings in the second half of the extract.
