Voltaire's final play
Although Voltaire (1694-1778) was a somewhat unoriginal philosophe, he was very able to popularise concepts and criticise in a funny way. In the course of the radical enlightenment in France, he obtained the status of an untouchable public figure. His last play, ‘Irène’, played an important role in the history of the French revolution.
Voltaire lived his old man's life wealthily in Switzerland because he was an outlaw in France. He tried to keep out of the authorities' hands. He continued, however, claiming how science makes progress and theology disagreement, if not war. By analysing the story of the protestant Jean Calas, sentenced to death in la France Toute Catholique in 1762 as guilty of murdering his son. Voltaire pointed out how there was no evidence and no confession, even after torture. He forced the authorities to admit that they suspected Calas on religious grounds.
His final play, ‘Irène’, was a major success in France. Even queen Marie-Antoinette and the king's brother visited the piece. Since Voltaire would have been prosecuted in France on behalf of king Louis XVI, the admiration of these royal family members disfavoured the king's reputation.
In 1778, Voltaire knew that he was dying. Perhaps, his final wish was to see it performed in la Comédie-Française. He decided to move to Paris in secret. However, the opposite happened. When rumours had it that Voltaire was in town, the streets were packed by people shouting Voltaire's name. After the piece, Voltaire received a standing ovation. The authorities did not intervene. One could say that Voltaire became untouchable for the Ancient Régime by his sheer name. On n'arrête pas Voltaire. This damaged the authority of the king disastrously.
During the early phase of the French Revolution, the decreasing authority of the Ancient Régime is one of the major causes that led to the declaration of the National Assembly by the Third Estate and the prise de la Bastille in 1789, assisting the bourgeoisie and peasants to politically and militarily overpower the Ancient Régime. In 1791, a new constitution was established and in 1793, the king of France was executed as guilty of treason.
In conclusion, Voltaire's ‘Irène’ figured an important role in the history of enlightenment, because it jeopardised the authority of the Ancient Régime in several ways. As a consequence, it enabled the upper middle class to revolutionise against their political malrepresentation.
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