Editing Playwright (section)

=== Neo-classical theory ===
[[File:Aleksis Kivi.jpg|thumb|The literary production of [[Aleksis Kivi]], the [[Finland|Finnish]] national author, consisted mainly of plays. One of his best-known plays is ''[[Heath Cobblers]]'' from 1864.]]The [[Italian Renaissance]] brought about a stricter interpretation of Aristotle, as this long-lost work came to light in the late 15th century. The [[Neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] ideal, which was to reach its apogee in France during the 17th century, dwelled upon the [[unities]], of action, place, and time. This meant that the playwright had to construct the play so that its "virtual" time would not exceed 24 hours, that it would be restricted to a single setting, and that there would be no subplots. Other terms, such as verisimilitude and decorum, circumscribed the subject matter significantly. For example, verisimilitude limits of the unities. Decorum fitted proper protocols for behavior and language on stage. 
In France, contained too many events and actions, thus, violating the 24-hour restriction of the unity of time. Neoclassicism never had as much traction in England, and [[Shakespeare]]'s plays are directly opposed to these models, while in Italy, improvised and bawdy [[commedia dell'arte]] and opera were more popular forms. 

One structural unit that is still useful to playwrights today is the "[[French scenes|French scene]]", which is a scene in a play where the beginning and end are marked by a change in the makeup of the group of characters onstage rather than by the lights going up or down or the set being changed.<ref name="George">George, Kathleen (1994) ''[[iarchive:playwritingfirst0000geor|Playwriting: The First Workshop]]'', Focal Press, {{ISBN|978-0-240-80190-2}}, p. 154.</ref>

Notable playwrights:

* [[Pierre Corneille]] (1606–84)
* [[Molière]] (1622–73)
* [[Jean Racine]] (1639–99)