The Springs of Elysium

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Infobox play The Springs of Pisdara (French: Les printemps de la Pisdarie) is a 1794 allegorical nationalist play by Marc-André Poirier.

A particularly stirring performance of the play in 1795 caused theatregoers to riot in Talonée and overthrow local Namorese rulers in the Talonée incident, starting the Aininian Revolution.

Setting

The play is set in the "distant, ancient" land of Pisdara, although its description is very dissimilar to the modern nation of the same name. Pisdara is described an an "ancient, storied" nation which was previously ruled by a cultured and prosperous empire (an allegory for the Glorious Confederation) but fell under the tyrannical rule of God-Emperor Legionus (an allegory for the Antelopian emperor), who was named for the Biblical demon Legion. The plot follows the patriots Charles and Jules as they rally Pisdarans to revolution.

Plot

Charles is a minor official in the imperial bureaucracy of Pisdara in charge of tax collection. One day, he and his colleague are collecting the annual imperial property tax when they arrive at the household of a young patriot, Mr. Jules, who defiantly refuses to pay his tax and lectures the collectors on the merits of revolution. When his colleague responds by attacking Jules with a pitchfork, Charles intervenes and kills him. The pair of outlaws flee into the countryside after the crime. While on the run, they meet several characters who have suffered under the empire, including an elderly widow who was left with nothing after her late husband's lands were taken by the emperor for a villa, a young man who was whipped by the local barbarian eunuch for singing a nationalist hymn, and the mayor of a small town which is being forced to lodge an imperial army, bringing it to the verge of bankruptcy. Jules speaks to them about tyranny, justice and rebellion, and all three eventually agree to join their cause.

They then agree to start the revolt on the emperor's birthday. As God-Emperor Legionus steps out of a banquet hall on that day, the conspirators, hidden among a crowd of well-wishers, rush forward and assassinate him. They are subsequently beaten back in a battle with his imperial guards, falling back into a besieged building. Rather than face capture, the five patriots blow themselves, the building and dozens of guards up using barrels of gunpowder. Their sacrifice leads to millions of Pisdaris to rise up and overthrow the crippled empire.

The play ends with a performance of L'Auxpuisienne, a patriotic march.

Reception

The play was met with energetic reception in Namorese Ainin and became a major success. It was performed in over 600 cities and towns of all sizes over 1795, at the height of the famine. It fuelled nascent nationalist sentiments and led to an increase in direct action against Namorese authorities.

Even though the play played a major role in the revolution, its author ironically became a victim of the very revolt he started. After writing a political treatise in 1802 condemning the Radical faction that had taken over the National Assembly of Ainin, Marc-André Poirier was executed by Republican Guards for treason during the Republican Terror.

Analysis

University of Talon literature professor remarks that the play was "not very good from a literary viewpoint" and was written in "a crude language of the 18th century peasantry," but remarks that it was this style that made it so popular amongst the common folks and allowed it to serve as a call to arms for revolution. He concludes that "nonetheless, it remains by far the most influential play in the history of the world."

Legacy

See also