Tartuffe and the Bourgeois Gentleman: A Dual-Language Book
Jan 2013 · Courier Corporation
Ebook
416
Pages
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About this ebook
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.
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.
About the author
The French dramatist Moliere was born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin on January 15, 1622, in Paris. The son of a wealthy tapestry merchant, he had a penchant for the theater from childhood. In 1636, he was sent off to school at the Jesuit College of Claremont and in 1643, he embarked upon a 13-year career touring in provincial theater as a troupe member of Illustre Theatre, a group established by the family Bejarts. He married a daughter of the troupe, Armande Bejart, in 1662 and changed his name to Moliere. The French King Louis XIV, becoming entranced with the troupe after seeing a performance of The Would-Be Gentleman, lent his support and charged Moliere with the production of comedy ballets in which he often used real-life human qualities as backdrops rather than settings from church or state. Soon, Moliere secured a position at the Palais-Royal and committed himself to the comic theater as a dramatist, actor, producer, and director. Moliere is considered to be one of the preeminent French dramatists and writers of comedies; his work continues to delight audiences today. With L'Ecole des Femmes (The School for Wives) Moliere broke with the farce tradition, and the play, about the role played by women in society and their preparation for it, is regarded by many as the first great seriocomic work of French literature. In Tartuffe (1664), Moliere invented one of his famous comic types, that of a religious hypocrite, a character so realistic that the king forbade public performance of the play for five years. Moliere gave psychological depth to his characters, engaging them in facial antics and slapstick comedy, but with an underlying pathos. Jean Baptiste Moliere died in 1673.
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