The School for Wives ; And, The Learned Ladies

Author: Molière
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN:
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 332

Book Description
School for wives: Fearing cuckoldry above all else, Arnolphe has painstakingly trained the guileless Agnes from childhood to become his obedient and faithful wife. Although he has carefully shielded her from the outside world, romance finds her in the form of the dashing Horace, son of one of Arnolphe's best friends. Unaware of who his rival is, the trusting Horace enlists Arnolphe's aid in wooing Agnes—that leads to a series of hilarious and inventive twists and turns of plot, until the inevitable conclusion is reached: The wily Arnolphe is duped into outwitting himself, and young love, as it will, carries the day. --From publisher's description.

The Learned Ladies

Author:
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc.
ISBN: 9780573692895
Category : English drama
Languages : en
Pages : 140

Book Description
"Ms. Thomas' previous and similar rollicking version of Moliere's Les Femmes Savantes delighted audiences off-Broadway in 1991, in a production starring Jean Stapleton as Philamente, a blossoming literary lady on the verge of coming into her own. It was re-imagined in 1993 at ACT in San Francisco, with many productions throughout the country since then. During the Salon movement of the 17th century, women, thirsty for knowledge and freedom, began to read, discuss and absorb all the learning they could now get their hands on. Frequently, into that mix came sycophants and opportunists, to take advantage of the budding but not fully formed intelligence of the Women's Movement. Enter Trissotin, a mediocre poet with a lot of sex appeal and little literary talent, who all but seduces Philamente, determined to be at the forefront of the movement. Equally determined to marry him off to her younger daughter (who just wants to marry her sweetheart Lycandre and raise children), she bullies her meek husband into tacitly agreeing, and the machinations that follow between family members, visiting poets and maids who refuse to learn proper French are predictably and delightfully Molière. This version strays from a strictly literal translation of the play, often employing anachronisms in the rhymed couplets that may appall purists, but have delighted audiences since its original inception. In this new version, there are 6 women and 4 men, and the familiar "Voice of Reason", present in almost every Moliere play and always a male, is now, for the first time, FEMALE! If you want your audiences to roll with laughter as they recognize their hilarious selves in the midst of a "Feminist culture," this version is for you"--Information provided by publisher.

Moliere: The Complete Richard Wilbur Translations, Volume 2

Author: Moliere
Publisher: Library of America
ISBN: 1598537121
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
For the 400th anniversary of Moliere's birth, Richard Wilbur's unsurpassed translations of Molière's plays--themselves towering achievements in English verse--are brought together by Library of America in a two-volume edition One of the most accomplished American poets of his generation, Richard Wilbur (1921-2017) was also a prolific translator of French and Russian literature. His verse translations of Molière's plays are especially admired by readers and are still performed today in theaters around the world. "Wilbur," the critic John Simon once wrote, "makes Molière into as great an English verse playwright as he was a French one." Now, for the first time, all ten of Wilbur's unsurpassed translations of Molière's plays are brought together in two-volume Library of America edition, fulfilling the poet's vision for the translations. The second volume includes the elusive masterpiece, The Misanthrope, often said to occupy the same space in comedy as Shakespeare's Hamlet does in tragedy; the fantastic farce Amphitryon, about how Jupiter and Mercury commandeer the identities of two mortals ; Tartuffe, Molière's biting satire of religious hypocrisy; and The Learned Ladies, like Tarfuffe, a drama of a household turned suddenly upside down. This volume includes the original introductions by Richard Wilbur and a foreword by Adam Gopnik on the exquisite art of Wilbur's translations.

Study Guide to The School for Wives and Other Works by Moliere

Author: Intelligent Education
Publisher: Influence Publishers
ISBN: 1645424510
Category : Study Aids
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Book Description
A comprehensive study guide offering in-depth explanation, essay, and test prep for selected works by Moliere, one of the greatest French writers. Titles in this study guide include The School for Wives, Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, The Miser, The Would-Be Gentleman, The Learned Ladies, The Physician in Spite of Himself, The Precious Damsels, and The Imaginary Invalid. As a French poet, playwright, and actor of the seventeenth-century, he transformed comedy. Moreover, he was considered the official playwright for the royal court’s entertainment. This Bright Notes Study Guide explores the context and history of Moliere’s classic work, helping students to thoroughly explore the reasons they have stood the literary test of time. Each Bright Notes Study Guide contains: - Introductions to the Author and the Work - Character Summaries - Plot Guides - Section and Chapter Overviews - Test Essay and Study Q&As The Bright Notes Study Guide series offers an in-depth tour of more than 275 classic works of literature, exploring characters, critical commentary, historical background, plots, and themes. This set of study guides encourages readers to dig deeper in their understanding by including essay questions and answers as well as topics for further research.

The School For Wives And The Learned Ladies, By Molière

Author: Richard Wilbur
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0547544537
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 327

Book Description
The School for Wives concerns an insecure man who contrives to show the world how to rig an infallible alliance by marrying the perfect bride; The Learned Ladies centers on the domestic calamities wrought by a domineering woman upon her husband, children, and household. “Wilbur...makes Molière into as great an English verse playwright as he was a French one” (John Simon, New York). Introductions by Richard Wilbur.

School for Trophy Wives

Author: Freyda Thomas
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780573704284
Category : Guardian and ward
Languages : en
Pages : 140

Book Description
School for Trophy Wives is loosely based on Molière's L'Ecole des Femmes. It is set in present day Hollywood, with all the accompanying glitz, glamour, and garishness we have come to know and spoof in Tinseltown. In this version, Arnolphe is Arnie, a Hollywood producer who has finally made it big after years of clawing his way to the top. He now wants to settle down with a wife and kids. He is MUCH older than his protégée Agnes, whom he found on a farm when she was 4, "adopted" as his ward, and raised, until he realizes, at her graduation, that she would be a perfect wife for him. Having made fun of his colleagues and all their trophy wives over the years, he must take special care that no whiff of scandal will ever hit him from the cover of People Magazine or the Hollywood Reporter, and that his wife will never adhere to the "trophy standards" his friends have had to deal with. This is where Molière comes in, but with some 21st century flair.

Tartuffe and Other Plays

Author: Jean-Baptiste Moliere
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698196678
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 449

Book Description
Seven plays by the genius of French theater. Including The Ridiculous Precieuses, The School for Husbands, The School for Wives, Don Juan, The Versailles Impromptu, and The Critique of the School for Wives, this collection showcases the talent of perhaps the greatest and best-loved French playwright. Translated and with an Introduction by Donald M. Frame With a Foreword by Virginia Scott And a New Afterword by Charles Newell

The Misanthrope, Tartuffe, and Other Plays

Author: Molière
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191623156
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 775

Book Description
'Why does he write those ghastly plays that the whole of Paris flocks to see? And why does he paint such lifelike portraits that everyone recognizes themselves?' Moliere, The Impromptu at Versailles This volume brings together four of Moliere's greatest verse comedies covering the best years of his prolific writing career. Actor, director, and playwright, Moliere (1622-73) was one of the finest and most influential French dramatists, adept at portraying human foibles and puncturing pomposity. The School for Wives was his first great success; Tartuffe, condemned and banned for five years, his most controversial play. The Misanthrope is his acknowledged masterpiece, and The Clever Women his last, and perhaps best-constructed, verse piece. In addition this collection includes a spirited attack on his enemies and a defence of his theatre, in the form of two sparkling short plays, The School for Wives Criticized and The Impromptu at Versailles. Moliere's prose plays are available in a complementary Oxford World's Classics edition, Don Juan and Other Plays. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The Big Book of Moliere Monologues

Author: Timothy Mooney
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780983181217
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 154

Book Description
"The Big Book of Molière Monologues brings you over 160 New Molière Monologues! Classical Monologues they haven't seen before! You get winning insight into seventeen Molière plays, and an understanding of the funniest playwright who ever walked the boards! With precise stylistic/acting advice from adaptor and master actor, Timothy Mooney, you can showcase your classical abilities a their very best!"--Cover

Molière's Theatrical Bounty

Author: Albert Bermel
Publisher: SIU Press
ISBN: 9780809315505
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Book Description
Exploring each of Molière's 33 plays (including the divertissements) for its theatrical possibilities, Bermel deals with dramatic structures, settings, roles and their interactions, original productions, and outstanding recent stage performances in France, Britain, and the United States. His emphasis is theatrical rather than literary, philosophical, or biographical, although he necessarily brings these considerations to bear when discussing certain plays. Bermel introduces a new methodology, one featuring the type of scrutiny directors, actors, and designers apply to any play before and during rehearsal. Thus he studies the dramatic implications of each scene or part of a scene by noting which characters are present, which ones are absent, and why. He analyzes each role, explores interactions among characters, traces the significance of structure, considers how much information is provided and who provides it, and examines such notable background factors as setting, season, and scenic arrangement. Using this methodology, Bermel provides new interpretations of Molière's most celebrated plays and demonstrates that many of the less famous plays also deserve attention. Previous Molière critics have been conservative, especially in that they favor traditional stagings; Bermel, however, encourages new explorations of the plays. His main intention is to keep Molière alive and vital for present and future readers and audiences. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his attention to, and sympathy for, female characters and their points of view.