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Often called the «Father of French Comedy,» Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, 1622–1673) was a master at exposing the foibles and complexities of humanity in plays notable for their dramatic construction, varied and diverse humor, and subtlety of psychological observation. This convenient dual-language volume contains the original French texts and English translations of two of Molière's most praised and popular comedies: Tartuffe and The Bourgeois Gentleman. These timeless theatrical works by one of France's greatest and most influential playwrights can be appreciated not only by students of French language and literature but by any aficionado of classic comedy.Tartuffe, a 1664 verse comedy with serious overtones, concerns a scoundrel who impersonates a holy man in order to acquire his gullible host's property and wife. The prose farce The Bourgeois Gentleman, an instant success at its 1670 debut, lampoons the hypocrisy of 17th-century Parisian society with a central character who attempts to adopt the superficial manners, accomplishments, and speech associated with the nobility. Both plays abound in humor, the quips of saucy servants, and a host of satirical plot devices.For this edition, Stanley Appelbaum has provided an informative introduction to the playwright and the plays, and excellent literal English translations on facing pages, offering students an ideal opportunity both to refine their French-language skills and to enjoy Molière in his own words.

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Renowned for his satirical works, Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, 1622–1673) delighted in lampooning the social pretensions and conceits of 17th-century French society. In this 1664 verse comedy with serious overtones, Tartuffe, a penniless scoundrel and religious poseur, is invited by a gullible benefactor to live in his home.Imposing a rigidly puritanical regimen on the formerly happy household, Tartuffe wreaks havoc among family members. He breaks off the daughter's engagement, attempts to seduce the wife of his host, acquires his patron's property, and eventually resorts to blackmail and extortion. But ultimately, his schemes and malicious deeds lead to his own downfall.Attacked by the Church and twice suppressed, Tartuffe opened to packed houses in 1669. Teeming with lively humor and satirical plot devices, this timeless comedy by one of France's greatest and most influential playwrights is essential reading for students of theater and literature.

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Molière understood profoundly what makes us noble, pathetic, outrageous and funny, and in his splendid comedies satirized human folly to perfection. One of the best of his plays — and one of the greatest of all comedies — is The Misanthrope, first performed in 1666, when the King of France himself had assumed patronage of Molière's company, and the actor/playwright was at the height of his career.Spotlighting the absurdities of social and literary pretension, The Misanthrope shows us a man who is quick to criticize the hypocrisies, inconsistencies and faults of others, yet remains blind to his own. As «the misanthrope» grows more and more irritable with others, the play becomes more and more entertaining, even as a happy ending for the hero seems less and less likely.

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This edition of comedies by Molière includes: «The School for Wives,» a comedy of infidelity and his first great success, «The Critique of the School for Wives,» «Don Juan,» «The Miser,» and «The Imaginary Invalid,» the play that Molière appeared in only hours before his death. Renowned for his comedic genius and ability to portray a true sense of humanity in his characters, Molière has been delighting and intriguing audiences since the seventeenth century, at which time they pleased King Louis XIV and changed the face of French comic drama. «The Miser,» a representative product of Molière's many-sided genius, is a comedy of manners loosely based on «The Pot of Gold,» by the Roman playwright Plautus. In each of these plays, Molière weaves a dark thread of tragedy into his comic visions of love, society, and the comfortable bourgeois home.

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Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his stage name of Moliere, stands without a rival at the head of French comedy. Born at Paris in January, 1622, where his father held a position in the royal household, he was educated at the Jesuit College de Clermont, and for some time studied law, which he soon abandoned for the stage. His life was spent in Paris and in the provinces, acting, directing performances, managing theaters, and writing plays. He had his share of applause from the king and from the public; but the satire in his comedies made him many enemies, and he was the object of the most venomous attacks and the most impossible slanders. Nor did he find much solace at home; for he married unfortunately, and the unhappiness that followed increased the bitterness that public hostility had brought into his life. «The Misanthrope,» considered to be one of Moliere's greatest works, is a truly original and sophisticated dramatic comedy.

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Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known popularly by his stage name Molière, is regarded as one of the masters of French comedic drama. When Molière began acting in Paris there were two well-established theatrical companies, those of the Hôtel de Bourgogne and the Marais. Joining these theatrical companies would have been impossible for a new member of the acting profession like Molière and thus he performed with traveling troupes of actors in the French provinces. It was during this period that Molière would refine his skills as both an actor and a writer. Eventually his reputation would increase allowing him to return to Paris where he gained the patronage of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the brother of the King of France, Louis XIV. One of Molière’s most controversial plays, “Tartuffe” first appeared in 1664. It is the story of Orgon, the head of his family, who has fallen under the influence of Tartuffe, an imposter who pretends to be pious and to speak with divine authority. Because of its satirical presentation of religion “Tartuffe” greatly offended religious authorities of the time causing its censor by the King. Eventually after two revisions the play was allowed to be publically performed at the Palais-Royal theatre were it was highly successful. This edition follows the translation of Curtis Hidden Page, includes an introduction by John E. Matzke, and a biographical afterword.

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After his death, Molière was gradually recognized in France as that country's most important dramatist. Along with this realization came a desire to write plays ABOUT the writer, his life on the stage, and his interaction with the other dramatists of his age, and also with King Louis XIV. Even Alexandre Dumas featured Molière as a character in his historical play, The Young Louis XIV. Molière himself was such a large, dynamic figure in real life that he made a perfect foil for later dramatists. Here are five plays by and about Molière: Molière at Ninon's, or, The Reading of Tartuffe, by René de Chazet and Jean-Baptiste Dubois; Scene Added for the Anniversary of Molière, by Charles Moreau; The King Is Waiting, by George Sand; Cyrano and Molière, by George Jubin; and The Love Doctor, by Molière. Great drama and great fun!

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Amphitryon by Molière. Translated by A. R. Waller libreka classics – These are classics of literary history, reissued and made available to a wide audience. Immerse yourself in well-known and popular titles!

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