Page:The thirty-six dramatic situations (1921).djvu/94

 C — Discovery that Ones Son is an Assassin: — "Werner" by Byron; "La Policière" (Montepin, 1889). The surprise is intensified in cases of parricide. Nuance C is capable of infinite development.

D — Might constitute a distinct situation; there is not only the discovery, but the duty of imposing punishment as well. This situation might serve as an intermediary between the Twenty-Third, "Duty of Sacrificing Kinsmen," and the Twenty-Seventh, which we are now studying, and which would thus end with Class C.

(1) — Duty of Punishing a Son Who is a Traitor to Country: — The "Brutus" of Voltaire, and of Alfieri. A Brother Who is a Traitor to His Party: — "Etudiants Russes" by Gilkin.

(2) — Duty of Punishing a Son Condemned Under a Law Which the Father has Made: — "L'Inflexible" (Parodi, 1884); "Le Tribun" (Bourget, 1910); "L'Apôtre" (Loyson, 1911).

(3) — Duty of Punishing a Son Believed to be Guilty: — "Le Régiment" (Mary, 1890); "L'As de Tréfle" (Decourcelle, 1883). This approaches XXXIII (Judicial Error).

(4) — Duty of Sacrificing, to Fulfill a Vow of Tyrannicide, a Father Until then Unknown. This imprudent vow carries us back, at one point, to the Seventeenth (Imprudence), and at another point the striking of an unknown parent recalls also the Nineteenth. — "Severo Torelli" (Coppée, 1883).

(5) — Duty of Punishing a Brother Who is an Assassin: - "Casse-Museau" (Marot, 1881). From this situation the kinsman-judge escapes for a moment, only to fall into D 3, from which he returns with resignation to D 5.

(6) — Duty of Punishing Ones Mother to Avenge Ones Father: — (Situation IV arrested prematurely): — "Le Cœur de Se-hor" (Michaud d'Humiac). The Fourth is less in evidence in "Simone" (Brieux, 1908).