Rivalry and the Disruption of Order in Molière's TheaterIn critical readings of ten of Moliere's most important plays, this book argues that a rivalry that endangers order by collapsing differences structures the works and provides a key to their understanding. Moliere's great comic characters all want desperately something that they cannot have. The objects of their desire may vary, but the presence of desire itself remains a constant. In L'Ecole des femmes. Amolphe wants, above all, to avoid cuckoldry. The title character in Dom Juan covets women. The bourgeois Monsieur Jourdain does all in his power to become a gentleman in Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, and the eponymous character in George Dandin views his woes as the price of an ill-fated marriage that he had hoped would elevate him to noble rank. Le malade imaginaire, Argan, has a seemingly crazy desire to be sick. The list could go on. |
Contents
5 | |
10 | |
Power and Identity The Method in Arnolphes Madness | 27 |
Enemy Brothers The Interdependence of Orgon and Tartuffe | 48 |
Grand seigneur méchant homme Dom Juan and the Credo of Conquest | 64 |
The World Turned Upside Down Rivalry and Ressentiment in Amphitryon | 79 |
Dark Comedy Disorder and Sacrifice in George Dandin | 99 |
Jai découvert que mon père est mon rival Love Greed and Rivalry in LAvare | 113 |
Impossible Desire Becoming a Mamamouchi in Le Bourgeois gentilhomme | 132 |
Philosophers and Fools The World of Les Femmes savantes | 146 |
Doctors and Actors The Victory of Comedy in Le Malade imaginaire | 165 |
Notes | 179 |
Works Cited | 198 |
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Common terms and phrases
Agnès Alceste Alceste's Alcmène Amphitryon Angélique Argan Arnolphe Arnolphe's become behavior bien Bourgeois gentilhomme c'est Célimène characters Chrysale Cléante Clitandre coeur comedy comic Covielle d'une Damis desire deux Diafoirus difference Dom Juan Donneau de Visé Dorante edition ELISE Elmire Elvire être fait father faut Femmes savantes Garcie de Navarre George Dandin Harpagon Henriette homme Horace husband identity j'ai Jacques jealous jealousy Juan Juan's Jupiter L'Avare L'Ecole des femmes Le Bourgeois gentilhomme Le Malade imaginaire Le Misanthrope Le Tartuffe Les Femmes savantes lière Lionel Gossman lover Madame maître Malade imaginaire Mariane marry master Mathurine Mercure Misanthrope Molière Molière's theater monde Monsieur Jourdain n'est Oeuvres Orgon Oronte Paris Philaminte Philinte play play's qu'il qu'on raison René Girard rien rival rivalry scene servant Sganarelle social Sosie Sotenvilles superiority Tartuffe Tartuffe's tells tion tout Trissotin truth University Press Vadius Valère veux violence voir wants wife words