Lucrèce Borgia, 1833
Original title: Lucrèce Borgia
Spurred by the ban on The King Takes His Amusement, Hugo wrote Lucrèce Borgia in fourteen days. The theme was the same as in Marion de Lorme and Lucrèce Borgia; man burdened with vice but saved by a single stroke of virtue. When finished, Hugo read it to Mademoiselle George - former mistress of Napoleon - in her salon, and then to Frédérick Lemaître in the lobby of Théâtre Porte-Saint-Martin. On this second reading, the woman cast for the role of Princess Negroni was present, Juliette Drouet - this was the first time Hugo met the woman who would become his almost lifelong mistress so close.
Mademoiselle George was cast for the role of Lucréce Borgia. She was well over forty but still capable of acting with passion, both off and on stage - her present lover was the lead role, Lemaître. During rehearsals, Juliette made obvious advances but Hug
o kept his distance. He was determined to, and focused on, making Lucréce Borgia a success. He gathered the troops from Hernani for a reading and secured their support.
On premiere night, 2 February 1833, it was evident that the drama was a tremendous success. The acting was superb and even Juliette got good reviews for her small role. It was a formidable revenge for The King Takes His Amusement and Hugo was again the giant of French drama.
Notes:
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Lucrezia Borgia, 1480-1519, was born into the intrigues of the corrupt court of Rome, being the daughter of the ruthless and depraved politician Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, later appointed pope. Her education was that of a lady of rank and she spent a great deal of her life serving her fathers political ambitions by marrying and divorcing the right people. In history, she has been wrongfully accused of both poisoning and incestious relations with her father and brother, but she was no more than a ordinary woman of nobility - although it is believed she was very beautiful.