Abstract
Late seventeenth-century France was fascinated by the myth of Psyche. The Greek princess inspired not only Jean de La Fontaine, who rewrote Apuleius’ original fable (1669); more indirectly, Psyche’s misfortune and happily ever after were a fertile base in the genre of the fairy tale. Whereas the influence of the myth of Psyche has been discussed for the famous fairy tales by Charles Perrault and the 'contes de fees litteraires' by Madame d’Aulnoy, this essay investigates its relation with 'Plus Belle que Fee' (1697) by the less known Mademoiselle de La Force. A comparison between the ancient myth, rewritten by La Fontaine, and the modern – and even subversive – fairy tale sheds light on the literary and socio-political tensions of the late seventeenth century, for La Force participates in the 'querelle des Anciens et des Modernes' and in the 'querelle des femmes'.
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