Alexander Dumas (son) (Dumas Alexandre)

(1824-1895), born July 27, 1824 in Paris. Illegitimate son of Alexandre Dumas pere. Mother's dressmaker treated with tender love, almost immediately recognized his father, but his childhood and school years were overshadowed by the consciousness of its inferiority complex - he later returned to the then experiences in several books.
Dumas turned the French drama in the instrument of social influence: not limited to, exposure of social ills, he offers health funds in the form of new laws or new public establishments. His ideas, he declared declaratively in numerous and lengthy prefaces to the plays. Assuming the role of moral arbiter, he laid the theater mission of spiritual mentor, formerly belonged to the church.

Playwright Dumas began his career with a stage adaptation of his novel Lady of the Camellias (La Dame aux camlias, 1848) in the play (1852). The plot laid History courtesan Marie Duplessis. For the sake of 'healthy' morale and self-sacrificing heroine of the play sacrifice happiness with your beloved. The role of Marguerite Gautier entered the repertoire of the biggest actresses (C. Bernard, E. Duse, in Russia - GN Fedotov, MG Savina). Reproof fallen women and infidels are devoted spouses drama Diane de Lys (Diane de Lys, 1853), Half Light (Le Demi-monde, 1855) and Amateur Women (L'Ami des femmes, 1864). In the face of ill-conceited Giraud, character in the play Money matters (La Question d'argent, 1857), one of the most popular in Dumas, were ridiculed unscrupulous nouveaux riches. He defended the rights of illegitimate children in almost autobiographical play an illegitimate son (Le Fils naturel, . 1858); indirectly, the same theme was addressed in the play The Prodigal Father (Un Pre prodigue, . 1859), . written on the memories of youthful years in the society father,
. Dumas was also made for women's equality and forgiveness for their past sins in the play Madame Concepts Aubret (Les Ides de Madame Aubrey, 1867). In the drama Princess Georges (La Princesse Georges, 1871), he criticized the marriage laws do not allow my wife to part with the wrong husband and wife in the play, Claude (La Femme de Claude, 1873) substantiated the moral right to kill her husband's adulterous wife.

Dumas notable for the rapid development of the action, dialogue and skillfully constructed intrigue, yet they were clearly overwhelmed by declamations and moralizing. At plot Ladies of the Camellias written by Verdi's opera La Traviata. Dumas died in Paris on 27 November 1895.