Don Juan and Other Plays

by Molière

Moliere's prose plays demonstrate both his versatility as a playwright and the reasons for his enduring popularity from the France of Louis XIV to the present.

Genres: Plays, Classics, Drama, Fiction, France, 17th Century, Comedy

Paperback

Published September 17, 1998

About the author

Sophisticated 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.

Reviews

[Banbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course reading the plays is a completely different experience than seeing them performed. It is clear that Moliere's plays are intended for some broad physical comedy, and thus reading them is only a partial experience, although pleasurable. I recommend viewing some of the plays on YouTube.

Some quibbles:

Why, in a collection of so many of Moliere's plays, is his most famous play (Tartuffe) not included?

Not having enough French to make any final judgment on the quality of the translation (they read smoothly in English), I did wonder about using the word "canons" in the passages: "To pay a lover's call in breeches without canons, a hat sporting no feathers at all, ..." (p. 9) and "What do you think of my canons?...In the very best of taste." (p. 20). What are these "canons"? I can't find a definition that meets this usage.

These are quibbles, the comic genius does come through, and these plays are very much worth reading.

[Jason Furman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of some of Molière’s prose plays, many of them on the shorter side (three acts), translated by George Graveley and Ian Maclean. None of them come close to the excitement of Richard Wilbur’s translations of Molière’s verse plays. But a number of these were very enjoyable too.

I skipped Don Juan and Precious Provincials because I had read them recently in other translations. Some brief thoughts on the others:

The Reluctant Doctor. Basically one long gag about a woman who gets revenge on her husband by telling people he’s a doctor who won’t admit it unless beaten. Yes can think of it is a higher level satire of medicine, authority, domestic relations and role playing. But can also just enjoy the absurd comic situation of everyone in an aristocratic family thinking someone is an amazing doctor when he is nothing of the sort—and he wasn’t the fraud but in some ways they were.

George Dandin. My favorite in this group, a loveless marriage, infidelity, marital tricks, a man humiliated by his wife, this is less comedy/farce with a happy resolution and more genuinely dark.

The Miser. The only one in this collection I had read before (and re-read in this collection), is a classic, Harpagon is a miser, trying to organize his life—and family’s—to maximize money while his children are trying to thwart him with their pursuit of love. Mistaken identities, misunderstandings, tricks abound.

The Would Be Gentleman. I was particularly excited to read this because I loved the 2007 film Molière and only after reading this realized much of it was a retelling of this play but putting Moliére into it as a character with a mixture of Tartuffe and The School for Husband and many more. An idiotic nouveau riche hires a series of tutors so he can woo a woman who has no interest him, he is betrayed by all. In some ways it is really silly and rather than a satire of class/aristocracy in many ways reinforces it and criticizes someone for trying to change the existing order. But still fun.

Scapin the Schemer. Clever servant, sons who want to marry for love, fathers focused on money, I actually didn’t love this one nearly as much as I wanted to—it felt like I had read a lot of it before and it did not add anything distinctive.

And now I’ve read (and in many cases re-read) every Molière play that is currently in print in English. There are a few more in the Delphi Classics complete collection on Kindle that are probably both lower quality plays and lower quality translations. But as an inveterate completist I might get to them one day.

[Rebeccas_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Everyone is content. I am the only one to suffer…But who will pay my wages?” is how the play concludes and is stated by the comedic figure, Sganarelle. The concluding lines encompasses the general feeling of the play, the play is home to many transgressive and terrible acts. However, the comedic atmosphere in conjunction with the serious subject matter makes it a joy to read. The figure of Don Juan crops up in French, Spanish and Italian literature, showing its far-reaching influence and reach. The play is crucial as it highlights many issues: the exploitation of the class system, the blatant misogyny in traditional society and how justice prevails, whether it is in the legal, moral or natural form. The play challenges the idea that those belonging to the upper classes are inherently ‘noble’, but rather, can display behaviours that are rather shocking; this play shows this brilliantly.

[Peter Crofts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hell's bells it's close to impossible to find decent English translations of Moliere. Here's another example, like Wood's translations for Penguin, of Anglifying, or however you want to describe it, to the point of destroying the originals. Again, like Wood, this feels all too English. You want stiff kneed
French ponces and surly commoners, not English pratts and Farmer Ham. In both translations Don Juan is just plain awful. The only reason I've given it any stars at all is because it is Moliere; even in this exercise in dismemberment some of the wit shines through.

Cripes, when reflecting on just how rotten some of the English, as in the country, translations of Moliere are, you start to suspect it's the deliberate. How else can you explain such deliberate cultural leveling? They border on obnoxious.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holds up remarkably well, although this is probably also due to translation. The collection itself began with a short comedy, Precious Provincials, which was very silly. I don't suppose comedy has changed too much over 400 years, and judging from one of Don Juan's monologues about how he's going to fake being pious but still continue his habits in secret and will let zealots defend him from any accusation is, well... look around you.

[Gabrielle Huston]

Read for HUMS3200 at Carleton University.

Just read the intro to Precious Provincials since we're just supposed to read enough to get a sense for the author. But it was pretty interesting and funny and I'd definitely like to give it some proper attention one day.

[Goo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read so far:
The Miser

[Janice Chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don Juan (read)

[Ayse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I like Moliere.

[Lulu]

"Precious Provincials," premiered 1659
"The Would-be Gentleman," 1670
"Don Juan," 1665
"The Reluctant Doctor," 1666
"Scapin the Schemer," 1671
"The Miser," 1668
"George Dandin." 1668

[Brittany Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moliere's play The Would-Be Gentleman is nothing if not entertaining. From the beginning, you follow Monsieur Jourdain, as he attempts to become a man of the highest ranking, and impress his true love, a Marquise named Dorimene. Whether it is lessons in philosophy, music and dancing, or fencing, or lending money to a man he barely knows, M. Jourdain spares no expense to reach his ultimate goal. However, in doing so, he makes quite a fool of himself. As the script progresses, M Jourdain finds himself in quite the predicament, without even realizing it. Though a short read, The Would-Be Gentleman offers an entertaining glimpse into the life of a man who endlessly tries to fake his status and reach a higher level, though he has everything he could possibly want already.

[Aaron Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The play that I will cover is called "Would be Gentlemen." It is a very comedic play which features Mister Jordain who tries to get into the aristocracy. He goes through all the tricks and makes a fool of himself. The best part of this book has to be all the times when him and his wife argue. The fights primarily come from Mister Jordain doing dumb things like lending out money he should not, going to dinners uninvited, and rejecting offers he should not refuse. This happens throughout the book and adds a lot of humor to the play. All in all, the play is a must read who need a good laugh.

[Megan Villasenor · Rating 5 out of 5]

the play "The would-be Gentleman" was a very funny book because it pokes fun of at the main character, M. Jourdian, the whole time. the best part is that the M. Jourdian does not even know it! M. Jourdian try's to move his way through social class' through many different attempts; however, not everything is what you expect. this read is easy and entertaining due to the actions of M. Jourdian. M. Jourdian is so desperate to achieve the role of a gentleman that he becomes gullible and acts ridiculous. this book is a must read if you're into humor or making the upperclass look bad.

[Matthew Smothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Would-Be Gentleman, by Molière is a comedy play in five acts that takes place in Jourdain's house, located in Paris. Jourdain is a man that loves the life of a gentleman, and will be a gentleman by any means necessary. Jourdain has plenty of people to teach him how to be a gentleman. Jourdain, however, is completely oblivious to the fact that everybody thinks him a fool. The play is full of jokes, pranks, and witty maneuvers, all at the express of the oblivious Jourdain.

[Fadhl Alesayi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The would be gentlemen is the play I've read about. The play is so interesting because it tells you how low class people were usually smarter than rich or high class people. Also, the wealth of people at that era had to be showed off in order to maintain a good dignity in the society. I recommenced reading the play of The Would be Gentlemen.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Molière was quite good and I read it without problems. Don Juan is a character that can changed for purposes of each era. Nice.

[Rupert Rawnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acerbic and witty.

[Edzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. And the translation is good too - better than Donald M. Frame's for Signet (which can sound a bit stilted).