Pluto receives the dead after they have been judged by Minos and Rhadamanthus. Minos expresses his surprise that recent arrivals from Europe are speaking in an extremely artificial and sentimental manner. Pluto attributes this odd style to the pernicious effect of the excessive gallantry in seventeenth century French works written by popular novelists and poets such as Madeleine de Scudéry, Marin Le Roy de Gomberville, La Calprenède, and Jean Chapelain. He assures the incredulous Minos that French writers have transformed famous military heroes and heroines such as Alexander the Great, King Cyrus of Persia, and even Joan of Arc into little more than sentimental lovers. Minos refuses to believe that intelligent readers will accept such grotesque distortions of historical reality. Rhadamanthus and Pluto try to prove to him that it is, unfortunately, true. Rhadamanthus then states that even longtime residents of Hades, including Sisyphus, Ixion, and Prometheus, have complained bitterly about the inane prattle of these new arrivals from France. Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Pluto ask Diogenes to persuade some of these French fictional characters to speak with them.
The first person who comes to see them is King Cyrus. Pluto knows a great deal about this historical figure because he has read Herodotus. Pluto has heard that classical learning is greatly admired in seventeenth century France, and he cannot believe that French writers would ignore such an eminent authority as Herodotus. This fictional Cyrus, however, has changed his name to Artamenes, and his main goal is not to conquer large areas in the Middle East but rather to find his beloved Mandana, who is abducted eight times in Madeleine de Scudéry’s very popular ten-volume romance, titled Artamène: Ou, Le Grand Cyrus (1649-1653; Artamenes: Or, The Grand Cyrus, 1653-1655). When Cyrus informs Pluto of his complete lack of interest in anything other than his love for Mandana, Pluto reaches the conclusion that this eminent military conqueror has become little more than a sentimental and foolish lover who weeps and whines incessantly about his failure to win the hand of Mandana in marriage.
After the departure of Cyrus, two famous...
(The entire section is 907 words.)