Overview
"Le Bourgeois gentilhomme" is a comedy-ballet by Molière depicting the bourgeois Monsieur Jourdain's attempts to attain aristocratic status through art, fashion, and arranged marriage, satirizing social climbing and pretensions. The play is structured in acts interwoven with music and dance, highlighting Jourdain's ignorance and the manipulation by those around him.
Introduction and Structure
- Written by Molière, first performed in 1670 as a comedy-ballet with music by Lully.
- Main character, Monsieur Jourdain, aims to distinguish himself from commoners.
- The play shifted from three to five acts, retaining its original content.
Jourdain and the Arts
- Jourdain employs music, dance, fencing, and philosophy masters to appear refined.
- The Masters value their arts differently and compete for Jourdain's favor and payments.
- Jourdain enthusiastically engages in lessons but displays ignorance in all disciplines.
- Jourdain is proud of his new fashion and enjoys being called by grand titles.
Family and Social Ambitions
- Jourdain's wife and servant ridicule his aspirations and new attire.
- Madame Jourdain urges him to prioritize their daughter's marriage over his own ambitions.
- Jourdain insists on marrying his daughter Lucile to a nobleman, refusing the bourgeois Cléonte.
Financial Manipulation and Social Climbing
- Count Dorante flatters and exploits Jourdain, borrowing money and using him to access Dorimène.
- Jourdain is manipulated into believing that generosity and spending are the keys to nobility.
Cléonte and Lucile’s Romance
- Lucile loves Cléonte but is forbidden to marry him due to his lack of noble status.
- Covielle, Cléonte's servant, devises a scheme to disguise Cléonte as Turkish nobility.
The Turkish Ceremony and Deception
- Covielle impersonates an old friend, convincing Jourdain of his father’s forgotten nobility and the Grand Turk's interest in Lucile.
- A mock Turkish ceremony is performed, making Jourdain a "Mamamouchi" and enabling Lucile and Cléonte’s marriage under false noble pretenses.
Final Resolution and Festivities
- Jourdain is delighted by his supposed elevation in status.
- The family consents to Lucile and Cléonte’s marriage after the ruse is revealed.
- The play concludes with dance, music, and multicultural performances, emphasizing the farcical blending of social ambitions and deception.
Decisions
- Jourdain refuses to marry Lucile to Cléonte unless he is a gentleman.
- Madame Jourdain eventually consents to Lucile's marriage to the disguised Cléonte.
Action Items
- TBD – Covielle: Continue orchestrating the Turkish noble disguise and wedding scheme until Lucile and Cléonte are wed.
Questions / Follow-Ups
- Will Jourdain discover the deception regarding Cléonte’s identity?
- What are the long-term consequences for Jourdain after being duped?