Le bourgeois gentilhomme; comédieballet en cinq actes. With grammatical and explanatory notes by Francis Tarver

Robarts - University Of Toronto, 1622-1673 MolièRe, Francis Batten Cristal Tarver

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• Publié par: ostie
• Nombre de lectures: 86
• Langue: English
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^T#"VMOLIÈRE. ^^ LE BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMME COMÉBIE-BALLET EN CINQ ACTES WITH GRAMMATICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES BY FRANCIS M.A.TARVER, Oxon, AT ETON COLLEGE.FBENCH MASTBR NEW EDITION LIBRAIRIE HACHETTE & C'^ LONDON : King Williami8, Street, Charing Cross PARIS : Boulevard Saint Germain79, BOSTON : Carl Schoenhof 1895 AU reservedrights \%os] ^i- NOTICE ON LE BOUEGEOIS GENTILHOMME/ CoMEDY be said to be of three kinds : raay fl) Farce, of and that which deals with(2J Couiedy Inti-igue, (3) inanners, "and character. In Lecustoms, Gentilhomme,"Bourgeois Molière bas the first and second of thèse threerepresented and with theirkinds, equal excellence, notwithstanding " "extrême Le Gentilhommedissimilarity. Bourgeois be includedindeed, "character comédies"might, amongst its that is to as aby gênerai plan, say, being study and of a weakness comnion to ail andexposition âges to ail the ofsocieties, thosenamely, pretentious vanity who hâve a fortune to which their birth hadacquired not entilled them. It be considered a inmay "Jarce." the scènes of broad of which the hero is the inbuffoonery dupe, of bis own Howeverconséquence vanity. incongruous may the in the firstappear profound philosophical study developed and the caricatureacts, of the later there is aburlesque ones, link between the two of the and thisConnecting parts play, link is the of its hero under thesupplied by overweening folly " influence of bis The character setoverpowering hobby." forth in such relief in "Le Gentilhomme"strong Bourgeois is a human and one that afïordsessentially one, inexhaustible matter for observation to the Themoralist., great fabulist, La the inventor of a différent ofFontaine, species comedy, ^. ^bas not failed to set bis mark it aupon it, by ingiving place • This "Notice" is a literal translation from that in M. G. édition.Vapereau'sîi NOTICE ON LE BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMME. fris fables : the fable of tlie itself eut to atlain the frog swelling dimensions of the ox is a résumé of the ofperfect conicdy which we are treating. " Le monde est de ne sont sages.plein gens qui pas plus -^Tout veut bâtir comme lesbourgeois seigneurs.grands Tout a despetit prince ambassadeurs, Tout veut avoir desmarquis pages." La Book Fable 3.Fontaine, Fables, L, " ""•Molière's not to be aBourgeois only aspires grand the luxuriousness of his the numberhousehold,seigneur" by of his and lavish of his he wishesservants, wealth,display out of ail to assume whichaiso, reason, advantages money.V alone cannot the ofprocure, advantages intelligence, taste, " and culture. He wishes to take his ofplace amongst people " a of in-thequality by acquiring kncwledge arts, by gaining and his talents he wishes to ac-formation, ;cultivating personal a lavish of and apains,quire, by expenditure money superiority for which his éducation and antécédents hâve not qualified "him he to school ; engages masters, goes agaiii,(a grey- tobearded use he takesschoolboy,"* Montaigne's expression^ not suitable to a man of his and to dérive advan-lessons âge, from them would even be to submit to the birch. tage willing "He bas an révérence forsincère, science,"unhappy, though and in his renders himself still more ridiculousingenuousness hethe efforts which makes to effect a and im-by very tardy This is the most feature ofpossible metamorphosis. original " Molière's M. Jourdain other charac- Bourgeois." displays teristics less and for Ihat reason more to original, open popalar observation and ridicule. In order to himself on theplace '^ same with of he dresses likefooting people quality thera, the same and affects the same ofemploys tradesmen, style He and strives tohousehold. concertsgives banquets, get inlroduced into the of the lends society aristocracy; money to who first and rob andnoblemen, him,dilapidated dupe, then at him. him to commit ail sorts oflaugh Yanity impels absurdities. He his and tries torépudiâtes origin,plebeian • abéccdaue.Yieiliaid ^VNOTICK ON LE BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMME. iii make out that the honest tradesman who was his father has been a noblenian. He the ratherdisregards coarsely expressed sensé of his and hisgood wife, honest siin-daughter's Ile carries for anollierphcity. on, person's advantage, an wifli a ofintrigue rank, Sancho Panzai helady and,(jike will he satisfied with less than anothing for his sou-marquis in-law. His inakes him a niarvel ofsimple vanity credulity, and whoever will but flatter his rieed nothobby iiesitate to the niost on hispractice extravagant buffoonery easy dupe. "Such is tlie hero of Le Bourgeois theGentilhomme," siniple- M. amindedTvain mixture of tact and ofJourdain, fiction, whom Molière's créative genius, by the truthlulness ônïîs observation ana keenness of his has made one ofcaricature, ' ' the most of comedy.popular types thus out the of theBy followiiig development principal character we are an of the theanticipating analysis play, prin- scènes of which bave no other than that ofcipal object seKing forlh in relief theamusing characteristic features which we bave enumerated. In a ofjust manners andcomedy customs, " the so-called is not of vitalplot" The dramaticimportance. action is a often aonly link, slender, threadvery Connecting in a of gallery hving portraits. dLet us, review thehowever, séries of acts and scenss in which thèse are portraits placeiL) — la the first M.act, of whom we bave had aJourdain, pre- faithful fromliminaryand the conversation of his musicportrait and reveals his truedancing masters, character the sort ofby which he accords toappréciation tbeir talent and lassons. Their of he the valueart, as he would that ofgauges any which his couldcostly object purse for afïordsprocure him, lesshim concern than that of his whomtailor, he is expecting, and who is to dress him after the fasliion of the "quality to thefolk," favourite andemploy characteristicingenuously which is on his Thaexpression constantly manner inlips. he listens to thewhich music, and the nature of the service which he demands of the master's us adancing art, firstgives of theglimpse siraple-minded which will bcvauity displayed with ingreater intensity scène. The secondevery subséquent notact, différent from the showsvery first, us M. Jourdain sur- rouiided the sauieby with the addition ofpersoiiages, IheIV NOTICE ON LE BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMMB. intomaster and of It outfencing professer philosophy. brings still and in Ihe the ridi- slronger light greatest prominence of the as with those of hisculûus characler hero, compared / and it the nature of the suiTOundiiigs, conipletely developes " incharacler which is destined to culminatecomedy,"^ " ) farce."/^As we shail retnark further on in our observations, the insane of the character is so complète,hobby principal and he rides it with such that ail thesimpUcity, amusing mys- ( before-tifications to which he will be aresubjected justified j 1 The second act. contains scèneshand^^ pecuUarly amusing, between the fourthat of a which terminâtes in aquarrel, fight on the of"masters," subject thepre-eminenceofthe respective of each (hen a that of the lesson ; scène,professions crowning of in which the of science ondisplayphilosophy, ntisplaced the of the inaster both himself and his toexposes pupilpart theridicule. After thèse comic and endeavours onimportant " " to inner man aof M. Jourdain thepart improve by tardy he to easier that oféducation, an transformation,proceeds " the outer man's" and thanks to the efforts of hiscostume, who clothes him with a court hetailor, suit,ceremoniously " finds himself transformed into a at least in thenobleman," \ of the on whom he lavishes donations olattendants,eyes " in return for the litles bestowed them on Hismoney by Grandeur." the the character now wellIn third agL, principal being the action of niinor which is the businessknown, importance, " of a "character is andintroduced, with,comedy proceeded almost cari'ied to a and the charactersconclusion, secondary who are to take in it at last enter (he scène.part upon are to of ,' On one side we introduced the M.family Jourdain, in contrast to lier husband's , his ambiliouswife, who, folly, solid sensé under a rather coarse e\.teriorirepresents good ; /her who with sensé combinesV Lucile, steriing gooddaughter, i the charm of and looks to her lover Cléonte for loveyoulh, than litles the one of/rather ; finally, waiting-woman Nicole,^ with action andsoubrettes unlimiledfreedom ofsprightly(those of whom Molière to make ther Ypeech, delights frank, irrepres-^' " of sensé." On the other ininterpreters good side,(sible contrast to thèse andamiable, sensible,slrong unpretending