ABSTRACT
Deburau-Pierrot is one of those legends whose image has become interwoven with reality. This has two consequences for the modern reader. Firstly, the nature of his performances is misunderstood, and secondly, the nature of his legendary status is underestimated. In contrast, Deburau’s contemporaries who invented most of his legendary image probably realised what they were doing and therefore appreciated both the reality and the fiction for what they were. There are therefore two objectives to this book which at first sight might seem contradictory, but which are in fact a balanced view of the Deburau phenomenon: firstly, to dispute some of the legendary features of Deburau-Pierrot we have inherited from almost two centuries of myth creation and dissemination, and secondly, to promote the myths by understanding them as fictions with a purpose. Realising these two objectives provides a firmer foundation for the third objective of seeing clearly the reflection of Deburau-Pierrot in the literature of his times and beyond.
