Œuvres complètes de Voltaire (Complete Works of Voltaire) 5

1728-1730 were for Voltaire years of self-examination as he returned to the French literary world after his exile in England. His literary output was sparse, as he worked hard to cement his established reputation in the tragic theatre, with plays that attempt to reconcile his admiration for Shakespearian drama with classical training and the expectations of a Parisian audience. These early works, such as Voltaire's bitter denunciation of official prejudice "La Mort de Mademoiselle Lecouvreur", contain the seeds of the social and political philosophy he would work to cohere, centered on hatred of tyranny and superstition, and opposition to war. Contributors: Ahmad Gunny, Robert Niklaus, Nicole Masson and John Renwick.