Grévin, Jacques (1538–1570)

French playwright, poet, and doctor. Like his friend the poet Ronsard, he was an advocate of classical standards in French literature. Among his plays is the tragedy César (1560), which has similarities with Marc-Antoine Muret's Latin version of the story of Julius Caesar. Grévin's poetry, published in Olimpe (1560), is reminiscent of Ronsard's, but about this time Grévin converted to Protestantism and their friendship ended.

Grévin was born at Clermont-en-Beauvaisis and studied medicine at the university of Paris. La Trésorière, based on an earlier lost comedy called La Maubertine, was first performed at the college of Beauvais in 1558. He also wrote Les ébahis (1562), a comedy about three unlikely suitors.

Grévin became physician to Margaret of Savoy in 1561 and moved to her court at Turin, where he died.