beginning of act V, which breaks the unity of time ; the unity of place is in question: the first act is in Alcandre's grotto in Touraine, the three middle acts are in Bordeaux, and the final act is in Paris L'Illusion comique was written during a period of transition from the Baroque to the Classical, and it can be seen as both a homage to the Baroque theatre as well as a satire of the same. Other elements Classicism Although this piece is primarily Baroque, certain passages seem to follow the traditional lines of classical tragedy. In spite of the legerity of the plot concerning the lovers, the theme of death appears several times. Of course, there is the false death of Clindor which plunges the play into the atmosphere of tragedy; like Pridamant, the spectator is faced with emotions of terror and pity which are the two great theatrical sentiments according to Aristotle. However, the two passages that are the most classical in nature are the monologues of Isabelle (Act IV, scene 1) and of Clindor (Act IV, scene 7. Devastated by the judgment against her lover, Isabelle imagines her own death like the heroine of a tragedy. Moreover, she is not satisfied to follow Clindor in death; she also hopes to punish her father. As for Clindor, he uses his memory of Isabelle in order to overcome his fear of death. He exclaims: "I die glorious because I die for you!" For a moment, he falls back into despair, but ultimately, love allows him to transcend his thoughts and fears of death. The Commedia dell'arte The Commedia dell'arte is the principal source for the new theatre of the 17th century by bringing together a popular technique with the aesthetic development of the Renaissance in Italy. The Commedia dell'arte concerns itself mostly with the verbal and physical dexterity of the actors and relies heavily on improvisation. The character of Matamore is directly borrowed from this tradition as well as the juxtaposition of characters from several social classes. Matamore can be compared to Sganarelle, the valet of Don Juan. The pastoral tradition Pastoral theatre takes place in an idealized setting according to the ancient model of Arcadia. The first act of L'Illusion comique borrows several elements from the pastoral, including the grotto and the magician. The "Tragi-comedy" A tragicomedy uses characters that are relatively close to everyday life who