The Little City of Louis-Benoît Picard: The Turning Point from Illusion to Disappointment

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the concept of illusion and try to explain the interplay between appearance and truth in an attempt to highlight the transformation of illusion into disappointment in Louis-Benoît Picard’s 1801 play The Little City. Picard’s heroes, as in almost all of his dramatic works, oscillate between two situations: the inherited and preconceived appearance (illusion) and the discovered and experienced reality (disappointment). This may be a constant doubt about the reality of appearances. This article attempts to explain these two positions established by the playwright in the play so that this duality pushes us to concretize our imagination to put an end to our misleading prejudices. Keywords: Louis-Benoît Picard, illusion, appearance, comedy travel, reality, disillusion.