person
Denis Diderot
Diderot
also: Дидро, Diderots
Denis Diderot (1713-1784), French Enlightenment philosopher, playwright, and encyclopedist, also known for his writing on the art of acting (the paradox of the actor). The noble father invokes "Diderots" as a sarcastic superlative for supposed acting genius, immediately undercut by his sneer that such 'geniuses' are really murderers of art.
Reading notes
- The Critic §10 Diderots
The noble father reaches for Denis Diderot, the French Enlightenment philosopher and playwright known partly for his writing on acting theory, as a sarcastic superlative for supposed genius -- immediately undercutting the compliment by calling such 'geniuses' murderers of art. It is empty bluster, not a real comparison.