What do you think?
Rate this book
One-Act Comedies of Molière
These are the best of Moliere's masterful one-acts, blending broad farce and pointed wit to express his never-ending delight in human foibles. But Moliere is more than just the "master of the laugh," for behind the comic gestures of these matchless rogues, tight-fisted masters, possessive lovers and elegant ladies lurk fears, insecurities and their consequences. Includes: The Jealous Husband, The Flying Doctor, Two Precious Maidens Ridiculed, The Imaginary Cuckold, The Rehearsal at Versailles, The Forced Marriage, The Seductive Mistress.
Contents:
- Bermel, A. Introduction: Fears into laughs.
- The jealous husband.
- The flying doctor.
- Two precious maidens ridiculed.
- Sganarelle, or the imaginary cuckold.
- The rehearsal at Versailles.
- The forced marriage.
- The seductive countess.
- Molière's life and works: a chronological summary.
173 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1975
4 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Molière
4,657 books1,523 followersSophisticated comedies of French playwright Molière, pen name of Jean Baptiste Poquelin, include
Tartuffe
(1664),
The Misanthrope
(1666), and
The Bourgeois Gentleman
(1670).
French literary figures, including Molière and Jean de la Fontaine, gathered at Auteuil, a favorite place.
People know and consider Molière, stage of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also an actor of the greatest masters in western literature. People best know l'Ecole des femmes (The School for Wives), l'Avare ou l'École du mensonge (The Miser), and le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid) among dramas of Molière.
From a prosperous family, Molière studied at the Jesuit Clermont college (now lycée Louis-le-Grand) and well suited to begin a life in the theater. While 13 years as an itinerant actor helped to polish his abilities, he also began to combine the more refined elements with ccommedia dell'arte.
Through the patronage of the brother of Louis XIV and a few aristocrats, Molière procured a command performance before the king at the Louvre. Molière performed a classic of [authore:Pierre Corneille] and le Docteur amoureux (The Doctor in Love), a farce of his own; people granted him the use of Salle du Petit-Bourbon, a spacious room, appointed for theater at the Louvre. Later, people granted the use of the Palais-Royal to Molière. In both locations, he found success among the Parisians with les Précieuses ridicules (The Affected Ladies), l'École des maris</i> (<i>The School for Husbands</i>), and <i>[book:l'École des femmes (The School for Wives). This royal favor brought a pension and the title "Troupe du Roi" (the troupe of the king). Molière continued as the official author of court entertainments.
Molière received the adulation of the court and Parisians, but from moralists and the Church, his satires attracted criticisms. From the Church, his attack on religious hypocrisy roundly received condemnations, while people banned performance of Don Juan . From the stage, hard work of Molière in so many theatrical capacities began to take its toll on his health and forced him to take a break before 1667.
From pulmonary tuberculosis, Molière suffered. In 1673 during his final production of le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), a coughing fit and a haemorrhage seized him as Argan, the hypochondriac. He finished the performance but collapsed again quickly and died a few hours later. In time in Paris, Molière completely reformed.
French literary figures, including Molière and Jean de la Fontaine, gathered at Auteuil, a favorite place.
People know and consider Molière, stage of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also an actor of the greatest masters in western literature. People best know l'Ecole des femmes (The School for Wives), l'Avare ou l'École du mensonge (The Miser), and le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid) among dramas of Molière.
From a prosperous family, Molière studied at the Jesuit Clermont college (now lycée Louis-le-Grand) and well suited to begin a life in the theater. While 13 years as an itinerant actor helped to polish his abilities, he also began to combine the more refined elements with ccommedia dell'arte.
Through the patronage of the brother of Louis XIV and a few aristocrats, Molière procured a command performance before the king at the Louvre. Molière performed a classic of [authore:Pierre Corneille] and le Docteur amoureux (The Doctor in Love), a farce of his own; people granted him the use of Salle du Petit-Bourbon, a spacious room, appointed for theater at the Louvre. Later, people granted the use of the Palais-Royal to Molière. In both locations, he found success among the Parisians with les Précieuses ridicules (The Affected Ladies), l'École des maris</i> (<i>The School for Husbands</i>), and <i>[book:l'École des femmes (The School for Wives). This royal favor brought a pension and the title "Troupe du Roi" (the troupe of the king). Molière continued as the official author of court entertainments.
Molière received the adulation of the court and Parisians, but from moralists and the Church, his satires attracted criticisms. From the Church, his attack on religious hypocrisy roundly received condemnations, while people banned performance of Don Juan . From the stage, hard work of Molière in so many theatrical capacities began to take its toll on his health and forced him to take a break before 1667.
From pulmonary tuberculosis, Molière suffered. In 1673 during his final production of le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), a coughing fit and a haemorrhage seized him as Argan, the hypochondriac. He finished the performance but collapsed again quickly and died a few hours later. In time in Paris, Molière completely reformed.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 16, 2025
After re-reading all the amazing Molière: The Complete Richard Wilbur Translations I'm now in more completist mode. These are one-act comedies in prose (one in verse was in the Wilbur and I didn't re-read it). They're definitely inferior to all of Molière's major plays but several of them were amusing combinations of farce, comedy, stock characters, situations, and the like. I especially liked the first two of his that survive (The Jealous Husband and The Flying Doctor) and also the metafictional "Rehearsal at Versailles" in which Molière and his actors are rushing to learn a play before Louis XIV shows up--with them switching between themselves and their characters and making fun of other French playwrights.
January 16, 2022
Moliere began his writing career largely influenced by the Italian commedia dell’arte and its farcical love stories rife with misunderstandings and human foibles. The majority were one-act skits with improbable deus ex machina endings. These are entertaining, funny, and provide some insight into human nature, but are not required reading.
As I read them:
The Flying Doctor – Sgaranelle plays a doctor to fool his master’s girlfriend’s father, and much silliness ensues.
Sganarelle, the Imaginary Cuckold -- This humorous one-act play piles misunderstanding upon misunderstanding to create a zany imbroglio, but it ends (somewhat) happily. It is certainly the origin of many sitcom farces.
The Seductive Countess – The Comtesse’s badinage with here servants is the highlight of this short work. Very funny.
As I read them:
The Flying Doctor – Sgaranelle plays a doctor to fool his master’s girlfriend’s father, and much silliness ensues.
Sganarelle, the Imaginary Cuckold -- This humorous one-act play piles misunderstanding upon misunderstanding to create a zany imbroglio, but it ends (somewhat) happily. It is certainly the origin of many sitcom farces.
The Seductive Countess – The Comtesse’s badinage with here servants is the highlight of this short work. Very funny.
December 25, 2013
The translation is wonderful, but farce is better seen than read
January 20, 2016
A very short and easy collection of plays to read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews