Book description
Moli re combined all the traditional elements of comedy - wit,
slapstick, spectacle and satire - to create richly sophisticated and
enduringly popular dramas. The Miser is the story of Harpagon, a
mean-spirited old man who becomes obsessed with making money out of the
marriage of his children, while The Hypochondriac, another study in
obsession, is a brilliant satire on the medical profession. The School
for Wives, in which an ageing domestic tyrant is foiled in his plans to
marry his young ward, provoked such an outcry that Moli re followed it
with The School for Wives Criticized - a witty retort to those who
disapproved of the play's supposed immorality. And while Don Juan is the
darkest and most tragic of all the plays in this collection, it still
mocks the soullessness of the skinflint with scathing irony.
Moli re was born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin in Paris in 1622. He began
studying law but gave it up in favour of an acting career. A gifted
actor, director and writer, he is remembered as the
creator of French classical comedy. He died in 1673 aftera
performance of The Hypochondriac.
John Wood was involved with theatrical productions of Moli re as a
producer and translator.
David Coward is a Professor of French at the University of Leeds. He
has translated many French novels and plays.
