Hélène Bilis

Hélène Bilis, assistant professor of French at Wellesley College, specializes in the literature and culture of early modern France and is particularly interested in the relationship between seventeenth-century theater and contemporary political discourses on sovereignty.She received a B.A from Rutgers University (2001) and an M.A. (2002) and Ph.D. (2008) in French literature from UC Berkeley.

Currently, she is working on a book-length project provisionally entitled, "Passing On: Dynastic Succession and Feeble Kings in French Classical Tragedy (1635-1750)" which examines the changing representation of aging monarchs in the theater of Jean Rotrou, Pierre Corneille, Jean Racine and Voltaire in light of the French monarchy’s increasing efforts to portray the king as both immortal and divine. Other areas of Bilis’s focus include the historiography of the “Grand Siècle,” generic intersections of comedy and tragedy, and early modern rewritings of ancient texts. In the classroom, Bilis uses the insights of visual arts, ceremonial practices, and juridical writings to contextualize and enlighten literary texts.

***

Profile last updated: 8/08