How to Read the Plays of Molière (Introductory Lecture) (Patreon)

It’s time to begin our appreciation of the French comic masterpieces of Molière.

Today we're discussing the tradition of comedy vs tragedy, the development of French theatre, the absolute rule of King Louis XIV, dramatic rules during the Renaissance, stock character types, Commedia dell'arte, high vs low comedy, scandal, censorship, banning, and much more.

Video Timestamps:

0:00 the tradition of comedy & tragedy

1:30 Molière as titan of French Literature

3:30 my love for the work of Molière

4:30 how to appreciate the plays of Molière

5:00 on the history of French theatre

6:00 drama in the age of King Louis XIV

7:00 Jean-Baptiste Poquelin’s acting career

8:00 comic with the heart of a tragedian

8:30 neoclassical revival of the ancients

10:30 French Renaissance rules for theatre

11:00 the alexandrines of French prosody

12:00 tragic conventions & Corneille’s Le Cid

13:00 what was French Renaissance theatre like?

13:30 classical unities of action, time & place

14:30 the value of working within a framework

15:30 dramatic rules from L'Académie française

16:30 difference between tragedy & comedy

17:50 the influence of Commedia dell’arte

18:40 Scaramouche & improvisational comedy

20:00 masks/stock types from Italian theatre

20:50 difference between high & low comedy

21:20 the art of Molière’s character creation

23:30 singular ruling passion of his characters

24:30 the liberation of recognising ourselves

26:00 William Shakespeare vs Molière

28:20 a tumultuous era in French History

29:40 King Louis XIV at the Palace of Versailles

31:00 how the Sun King controlled the nobles

32:40 King’s brother as patron of Molière’s troupe

33:30 why the critics attacked Molière

34:30 Molière discovers his talent for comedy

35:30 Sganarelle in The Imaginary Cuckold

36:00 Molière’s understanding of jealousy

38:00 making the audience recognise themselves

38:50 Jean-Baptiste finds freedom on the stage

40:00 Les Précieuses ridicules causes outrage

40:50 satirising the age of the refined salon

42:00 ‘Stop thief! Stop thief! Stop thief!’

43:30 Molière’s mockery of refined society

44:30 banned for being deeply offensive

46:00 The School for Wives & the Comic War

47:00 Molière’s satire offends high society

50:00 how the criticism fuelled Molière

51:00 tuberculosis, depression, hypochondria

52:00 what was Molière’s acting like?

52:30 the scandal caused by Tartuffe

54:00 Molière satirises religious hypocrisy

55:00 ‘Yes, Brother, I am a wicked man, I fear’

57:00 Tartuffe is banned by the authorities

59:00 the character of Alceste in The Misanthrope

1:02:00 ‘the friend of mankind is no friend of mine’

1:04:00 Molière fights to get Tartuffe onstage

1:06:00 the great playwright’s tragic death

1:07:00 Molière changed the world of comedy

1:08:00 recommended translation of Molière

1:09:00 appreciating Richard Wilbur’s Molière

1:10:00 discussing the Molière lecture series

1:12:00 exciting upcoming book club content

1:12:20 what is your experience with Molière?

Resources:

Translation: I highly recommend the Richard Wilbur translations of the plays of Molière. I will be working from the complete collection of his translations in this edition from Library of America, which contain the plays we will be appreciating together. Single editions of the plays are also available, but the complete set of Wilbur translations has the bonus of containing wonderful introductory essays for each work.

Progression: We'll begin with a deep-dive into Tartuffe. After that, we'll appreciate The Misanthrope, then The School for Wives and The Learned Ladies. We talk about the timing of upcoming book club content at the end of the video above. But, in short, we have our King Lear discussion early this coming week, our concluding Bulgakov on the weekend coming, an introduction to Jane Austen the weekend after that, and the weekend after that we'll have our Tartuffe appreciation. So you have plenty of time to procure your copy, fit your appreciation around the rest of your reading, enjoy an adaptation, and watch the film recommendation below.

Film Appreciation: You might find it rewarding to begin your appreciation of Molière by giving yourself a screening of this wonderful film about the playwright. There is a huge amount of fictionality/poetic licence with this film, but it's filled with allusions to his works (which you'll appreciate as we enjoy his plays together) and there's a delightful 'Shakespeare in Love' quality to the story.

Audio Dramatisation: If you would like to listen to a performance that uses the Richard Wilbur translations, then you can do so with this one.

Biography: Mikhail Bulgakov's biography of the playwright, 'The Life of Monsieur Molière', is superb. The banned, censored, and criticised Russian novelist clearly feels a strong affinity for Molière, and he recounts his life with the perfect balance of fact and imaginative speculation.

Documentary: To get a sense of the historical context around the plays of Molière, you might like to check out Lucy Worsley's documentary on King Louis XIV and the Palace of Versailles here.

Adaptation: The Royal Shakespeare Company put a great English production of Tartuffe with a fabulous cast on television in 1983, which is available for viewing here.

Reading Assignment:

Tartuffe is our first play appreciation, which you can find on page 219 of the second volume of the Richard Wilbur edition (though feel free to use the edition that comes most easily to hand).

So grab yourself a copy of the play, treat yourself to an adaptation, meet Molière's characters, and note down any themes, ideas, or passages that personally resonate with you.

Questions for You:

1) What is your current relationship with the plays of Molière?

2) What was your best experience in the theatre? And worst?

3) What elements make a comedy funny for you?

Happy reading, everybody!