Mercadet: A Comedy in Three Acts: Play Guide and Free Edition
Mercadet: A Comedy in Three Acts: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Mercadet: A Comedy in Three Acts is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Balzac, Honoré de (1799–1850).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Mercadet: A Comedy in Three Acts" by Honoré de Balzac is a play written in the mid-19th century that delves into the intricacies of financial speculation and social aspirations in Parisian society. The narrative revolves around the central character, Mercadet, a speculative businessperson struggling with the weight of his mounting debts while aiming to secure a prosperous marriage for his daughter, Julie. The tension between wealth, poverty, and social expectations plays a critical role as Mercadet navigates between creditors and potential suitors for his daughter. At the start of the play, we are introduced to the Mercadet household, where the servants discuss their fears regarding their master’s financial ruin. As tension builds, Mercadet enters, exhibiting a mix of charm and desperation. He is determined to impress potential creditors through a lavish dinner in hopes of marrying Julie off to a wealthy suitor, the Comte de la Brive, while manipulating his relationships with various creditors. Throughout the unfolding scenes, Mercadet's colorful rhetoric about money and morality highlights his precarious situation as he juggles the needs of his family with the demands of his debtors, setting the stage for comedic and dramatic confrontations ahead.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Mercadet: A Comedy in Three Acts
- Author credits: Balzac, Honoré de (1799–1850)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Comedy plays
- French drama -- 19th century -- Translations into English
Gutenberg collections
- Category: French Literature
- Category: Humour
- Category: Plays/Films/Dramas
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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