Chantecler: Play in Four Acts by Edmond Rostand

"Chantecler: Play in Four Acts" by Edmond Rostand is a whimsical play from the early 20th century that combines elements of allegory and comedy. It centers around Chantecler, a proud rooster who believes his crowing brings the sun to rise and maintains the order of the farmyard. Through a rich ensemble cast of barnyard animals, including hens, a blackbird, a turkey, and even a pheasant-hen, the play explores themes of vanity, self-importance, and the interplay between nature and society. The opening of the play establishes a vibrant farmyard setting where various birds and animals chatter, showcasing their personalities and relationships. We are introduced to Chantecler, who is depicted as theatrical and self-absorbed, lavishing praise on the sun, which he reveres as a goddess. Other characters, like the skeptical blackbird and loyal dog Patou, provide contrasting views about Chantecler’s lofty self-image. In this lively atmosphere, the characters engage in banter that hints at societal critiques, such as the impact of new fashions and ideas. The initial interactions establish a comedic tone while foreshadowing the potential conflicts that may arise as the story unfolds. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10747.html.images 383 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10747.epub3.images 330 kB
EPUB (older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10747.epub.images 330 kB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10747.epub.noimages 235 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10747.kf8.images 657 kB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10747.kindle.images 601 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10747.txt.utf-8 259 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/10747/pg10747-h.zip 550 kB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Rostand, Edmond, 1868-1918
Translator Brownell, Gertrude Hall, 1863-1961
Title Chantecler: Play in Four Acts
Note Reading ease score: 79.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
Credits Curtis Weyant, Ginny Brewer and PG Distributed Proofreaders
Language English
LoC Class PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Subject Birds -- Drama
Subject Roosters -- Drama
Category Text
EBook-No. 10747
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Feb 27, 2023
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 136 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!