Portrait of Étienne Jodelle

Étienne Jodelle

French dramatist and poet

Lived
1532–1573
Country
France

Updated September 2026

About Étienne Jodelle

Étienne Jodelle, seigneur de Limodin, French dramatist and poet, was born and died in Paris of a noble family.

Member of La Pléiade, he will strive to revitalize the principles of ancient Greek and Roman theater during the Renaissance. He was the first to introduce the alexandrine into tragedy in his time, notably with Cléopâtre captive, the first tragédie à l'antique, as well as L'Eugène in comedy. He is recognized as a precursor of the theater which was born in the second half of the 16th century, a convulsive period by Wars of Religion which saw its uncertainties embodied in his work.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Authors like Étienne Jodelle

Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.