Oeuvres complètes Quotes

“What the deuce does he mean by all this? I thought I had found a clever man who would give me good advice, and I find a chimney-sweep, who, instead of speaking to me, plays at mora.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“You have believed very wrongly, and I will be bound that a learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant fool.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“You take pains for me which are unnecessary; learned conversations are not at all in my way: I love to live at ease; and, in whatever is said, one must take too much trouble to become clever; it is an ambition which does not at all enter my mind. I find myself very well, mother, in being stupid; and I prefer having nothing but common-place talk to tormenting myself to say fine words.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Aris. Certainly, your prudence is excessively rare. Are you not ashamed of your want of firmness? and is it possible for a man to be so weak as to leave his wife absolute power, and not dare to attack what she has resolved upon? Ch. Good Heavens! brother, you speak very easily of it, but you do not know how noise troubles me. I am  very fond of rest, peace, and tranquillity, and my wife is terrible in her tempers.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“In short, I see your example followed by them, and though I have servants, I am not served.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“I stand so much in need, is neglected. My servants aspire to science in order to please you, and all neglect nothing so much as what they have to do. To argue is the occupation of the whole of my household, and argument banishes reason from it The one burns my roast, while reading some history; the other dreams of verses, while I am asking for something to drink.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Ch. What does it matter that she fails in the laws of Vaugelas, provided she does not fail in the cooking? I would rather, I would, that in cleaning the vegetables she should make the verbs agree ill with the nouns, and say a hundred times a low or bad word, than that she should burn y  my meat or put too much salt in my soup; I live on good soup, and not on fine language.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Bél. What is the meaning of this Eh? and what is there surprising in what I say? One is handsome enough, I imagine, to be able to say that it is not one heart only which is subject to our empire; and Dorante, Damis, Cléonte, and Lycidas may show that we have some charms. Ar. These gentlemen love you? Bél. Yes, with all their might. Ar. They have told you so? Bél. No one has taken that liberty; they have so well known to reverence me up to this day, that they never breathed a word of their love. But to offer me their hearts and to devote themselves to my services, dumb interpreters have sufficiently done their office. Ar. We hardly ever see Damis come into the house.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“A lover pays his court where his heart has taken root; he aims at gaining every one’s favour in that spot; and so as to have no one opposed to his flame, he endeavours to please the very house-dog.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Aspire to the knowledge which is in the family, and feel the sweet charms which the love of study instils into peoples hearts. Far from being a submissive slave to the laws of men, wed yourself to Philosophy, sister, which elevates us above the whole human race, and invests reason with sovereign sway, subjecting to her laws the animal part, of which the gross appetite places us on a level with brutes.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Ar. Fie! I tell you. Can you not conceive the disgust that such a word inspires, the moment it is heard; with what a strange image one is shocked, on what filthy prospects it leads the thought? Do not you shudder at it, and can you, sister, bring your heart to contemplate the consequences of this word? Hen. The consequences of this word, when I contemplate them, show me a husband, children, a household; and I see nothing there, to talk rationally, which shocks my imagination and makes me shudder.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Ur. It is strange in you gentlemen poets that you always condemn the pieces which every one runs after, and speak well only of those which no one goes to see. You display an unconquerable hatred for the one, and an inconceivable tenderness for the others.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Dor. So you think, Lysidas, that all the wit and beauty are to be found in serious poems, and that comic pieces are trifles which deserve no praise? Ur. I certainly do not think so. Tragedy no doubt is very fine when it is well written; but comedy has also its charms, and I believe that one is no less difficult than the other.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Let us not apply to ourselves the points of general censure; let us profit by the lesson, if possible, without assuming that we are spoken against.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“The world is only too glad to discover anything to carp at.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Cl. In short, we ought to be blind throughout this play, and pretend not to see anything in it. Ur. We ought not to see what is not there.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Ur. What is your ailment, then? When did it seize you? Cl. Above three hours ago; and I brought it from the Palais Royal. Ur. How? Cl. I have just seen, as a punishment for my sins, that villainous rhapsody The School for Wives. I feel still a twinge from the-fainting-fit which it gave me; I believe I shall not be myself again for a fortnight.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“THE SCHOOL FOR Wives criticised was first brought out at the theatre of the Palais Royal, on the 1st of June, 1663. It can scarcely be called a play, for it is entirely destitute of action. It is simply a reported conversation of “friends in council; but we cannot be surprised that it had a temporary success on the stage. It was acted as a pendant to The School for Wives, and the two were played together, with much profit to the company, thirty-two consecutive times. Molière, in the Preface to The School for Wives, mentions that the idea of writing The School for Wives criticised was suggested to him by a person of quality, who, it is said, was the Abbé Dubuisson, the grand introducteur des ruelles or, in other words, the Master of the Ceremonies to the Précieuses. Our author had also just been inscribed on the list of pensions which Louis XIV. allowed to eminent literary men, for a sum of a thousand livres.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“WHAT, WILL THE star which is bent on driving me to despair allow me no time to breathe? Am I to see, through their mutual understanding, my watchful care and my wisdom defeated one after another? Must I, in my mature age, become the dupe of a simple girl and a scatter-brained young fellow?”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Arnolphe. Were you not wearied? Agnès. I am never wearied. Arnolphe. What did you do then, these nine or ten days? Agnès. Six shirts, I think, and six nightcaps also.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“ARNOLPHE. WAS SHE sad after I went away? Georgette. Sad? No. Arnolphe. No? Georgette. Yes, yes. Arnolphe. Why, then? Georgette. May I die on the spot, but she expected to see you return every minute; and we never heard a horse, an ass, or a mule pass by without her thinking it was you.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“No, no, I will have none of your lofty minds. A woman who writes knows more than she ought to do. I intend that my wife shall not even be clever enough to know what a rhyme is. If one plays at corbillon with her, and asks her in her turn “What is put into the basket, “ I will have her answer, “A cream tart. “ In a word, let her be very ignorant; and to tell you the plain truth, it is enough for her that she can say her prayers, love me, saw and spin. Chrysalde. A stupid wife, then, is your fancy?”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Good Heaven, friend, do not trouble yourself. He will be a clever man who catches me in this way. I know all the cunning tricks and subtle devices which women use to deceive us, and how one is fooled by their dexterity, and I have taken precautions against this mischance. She whom I am marrying possesses all the innocence which may protect my forehead from evil influence.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Is there another city in the world where husbands are so patient as here? Do we not meet with them in every variety, and well provided with everything? One heaps up wealth, which his wife shares with those who are eager to make him a dupe; another, slightly more fortunate, but not less infamous, sees his wife receive presents day after day, and is not troubled in mind by any jealous twinge when she tells him that they are the rewards of virtue. One makes a great noise, which does him not the slightest good; another lets matters take their course in all meekness, and, seeing the gallant arrive at his house, very politely takes up his gloves and his cloak. One married woman cunningly pretends to make a confident of her confiding husband, who slumbers securely under such a delusion, and pities the gallant for his pains, which, however, the latter does not throw away. Another married woman, to account for her extravagance, says that the money she spends has been won at play; and the silly husband, without considering at what play, thanks Heaven for her winnings.”
― Molière, Delphi Complete Works of Molière (Illustrated)

“Géronte
Monsieur, c'est là sa maladie. Elle est devenue muette, sans que jusques ici on en ait pu savoir la cause : et c'est un accident qui a fait reculer son mariage.
Sganarelle
Et pourquoi ?
Géronte
Celui qu'elle doit épouser veut attendre sa guérison pour conclure les choses.
Sganarelle
Et qui est ce sot-là, qui ne veut pas que sa femme soit muette ? Plût à Dieu que la mienne eût cette maladie ! je me garderais bien de la vouloir guérir.”
― Molière, Oeuvres complètes