L'héritage symboliste dans 'Tete d'Or' (1889) de Paul Claudel

Critics and specialists of Claudel's theatre generally consider "Tete d'Or" (1889) as the first masterpiece of this author. In the economy of Claudel's production, this piece marks in reality a transformation, from the works of the first period -clearly influenced by Symbolism - and the great dramas of Claudel's maturity, which fully manifest his originality and his definitive conversion to the Catholic faith. From a structural view point, "Tete d'Or" presents several elements which reveal Claudel's debt to Symbolist culture, but, at the same time, the piece contains some aspects which can be seen as the overcoming of Decadent nihilism, and the discovery of a new horizon of hope: the one offered by Grace.