The School of the women

the School of the women is a comedy of Molière in 5 acts (respectively comprising 4,5,5,9 and 9 scenes) and in worms (1779 including 1737 Alexandrins), created with the Théâtre of the Palais Royal the December 26th 1662.

Distribution

Summary

Act I - Arnolphe, also called Mr. of the Stock, is a man of ripe age which would like to enjoy marital happiness, but it is haunted by fear to be misled by a woman. Also it decided to marry its Agnès pupil, high in ignorance, recluse in a convent. It announces its project to his friend Chrysalde, who disapproves the way in which the young girl was kept away of realities. Horace, wire of Oronte (another friend of Arnolphe), fell in love with Agnes to the first glance; he entrusts to Arnolphe of which he is unaware of the role of tutor, acknowledging to him that he made his court and scoffing the character at Mr. of the Stock. This last conceives bitterness of it.
Act II - Alain and Georgette, the servants, are reprimands to have allowed an young man to meet his pupil. Arnolphe questions Agnès in order to know what occurred at the time of this interview, and the content of their remarks. It is reassured by the account that it makes him, its reputation was not sullied, but it decides to precipitate the marriage. Agnes, believer who her husband-to-be is Horace, expresses her gratitude to him, but the greybeard undeceives it without care.

Act III - Arnolphe inculcates in his future wife the rudiments of the marital duties, without forgetting the terrible effects of the inaccuracy. Agnes seems to resign herself to this sad future. Horace meets the tutor who enjoys already the disappointment of the young man: the servants refused a new visit to him, and the beautiful one returned it while launching a stone to him… to which a word of love was united. It is Arnolphe which mad, obliged to recognize its jealousy, and thus its love; and he would like to be liked in return.
Act IV - Arnolphe, more than ever given in its projects, gives drastic instructions to its servants, they must drive back the young applicant with blows of stick. New meeting between the tutor and the gallant one, this one teaches him that it succeeded in being introduced into the house, but that the arrival impromptue of Mr. of the Stock, obliged Agnès to hide it in a cupboard. Moreover, he entrusts to him that he even has an appointment for the evening and that he projects to remove the young girl. Thus informed, Arnolphe calls its notary for the drafting of the marriage contract and prepares to trap its rival.
Act V - the trap functioned well, Horace was coiled blows by the two servants, and it has of another choice to only make struck. Agnes east flees and joined her lover, not wanting to turn over in her tutor. Horace, always being unaware of identity of the tutor, requires of Arnolphe to lodge and protect the young girl. The greybeard triumphs, but she is unaware of superbly her exalté speech. Entry of Oronte, the father of Horace, it wants to link his/her son with the girl of his friend Enrique, of return of Americas, after a long stay. Horace asks for the assistance of Arnolphe which reveals its identity ironically to him. Dramatic turn of events, it proves that Agnès is the girl of Enrique; the lovers will be able to link their destinies, with the great despair of the ex-tutor. The last word of this one is: “ Oh! ” (about 1744).

Comments

The February 20th of this year 1662 Molière, at forty years, had married Armande Béjart, nineteen years, the girl of its mistress, Madeleine, which is worth many attacks to him and to be marked incestueuses relations with this person who could be her daughter. The part makes scandal, the year 1663 sees ravelling a series of parts written in right of reply to the preceding one. Molière answers its adversaries by the Criticism of the school of the women . Edme Boursault, author appointed of the Hotel of Burgundy, writes a comedy entitled then the Portrait of the painter, or the Counter-criticism of the school of the Women , Molière retorts in its turn with its Impromptu of Versailles by caricaturing Boursault and the actors of the Hôtel of Burgundy. And so on: De Villiers answers by the Revenge on the Marquis .

In January 1664, Montfleury composes a Impromptu of the Hotel of Cop , where, while wanting to crunch maliciously a caricature of Molière, it described with wonder its undeniable talent of comic actor, who made, for a good portion, the success of its Comédie S:

it comes, the nose with the wind,

the feet in bracket and the shoulder ahead,

Its wig, which follows the side that it advances,

Plus full with bay-trees than a ham of Mainz,

Its hands on the sides of an air neglected a little,

Its head on the back like a charged mule,

Its eyes extremely stray; outputting its roles,

Of a perpetual hoquet separates its words .

The interest of the School of the women , it is her reality. Molière, for the first time deliberately chose to anchor the comedy in the reality of his time. The characters are its contemporaries who evolve/move with their complexity. Of this painting and this drama, he proposes to us a philosophy of the life, based on the respect of the naturalness and our predispositions.

Comment of Molière itself in the Criticism of the school of the women by the way of Uranie: “ What appears rather pleasant to me, it is that a man who has spirit, and who are informed of all by innocent a '' and by thoughtless a '' cannot with that avoid what arrives ”.

Famous counterparts

I know a peasant, whom one called Large-Pierre,

Which, not having for all although only one ground district,
Y did all with the entour to make a muddy ditch,
And of Mister of Isle took the pompeux name of it.
(Chrysalde, act I, scene I, towards 179-182)
The kitten died. (Agnes, act II, scene V, towards 461)
We all are mortals, and each one is for oneself. (Arnolphe, act II, scene V, towards 462)
Side of the beard is the absolute power. (Arnolphe, act III, scene II, towards 700)
It is necessary it to acknowledge, the love is a large Master,

what one was never it teaches us with the being.
(Horace, act III, scene IV, towards 900-901)

Film adaptations

1941 : French film of max Ophüls, remained unfinished (images of Michel Kelber, decorations of Christian Bérard)

Distribution:

Louis Jouvet Arnolphe

Madeleine Ozeray Agnes

Raymone Georgette

Romain Bouquet Alain

Maurice Manor house Chrysale

and the troop of the Athenaeum.

turning took place in the room of the opera of Geneva in January 1941. The film was quickly stopped undoubtedly because of the dissensions which had emerged between Jouvet, on the one hand, Ophüls and Madeleine Ozeray, on the other hand. The turned scenes, more than he was not said, completely seem to have disappeared.