Molière's comedy "The Bourgeois in the Nobility" was created by order of the King of France, Louis the Fourteenth, after the king was deceived by the ambassadors of the Ottoman Empire. At the request of the king, representatives of Turkish citizenship should be ridiculed in the comedy. Moliere's co-author was Jean Baptiste Molly. For the first time, Moliere's work was presented in the presence of Louis the Fourteenth. The characterization of the comedy as a play leaves much to be desired; most of it is occupied by ballet.
History of creation
In the autumn of 1669, ambassadors from the Ottoman Sultan visited Paris. The Turks were greeted with particular pomp. But the decorations, spectacular meeting and luxurious apartments did not surprise the guests. Moreover, the delegation stated that the reception was sparse. It soon turned out that it was not ambassadors who visited the palace, but impostors.
However, the offended King Louis nevertheless demanded that Moliere create a work that would ridicule the pompous Turkish customs and specific morals of Eastern culture. It took only 10 rehearsals and the play “Turkish Ceremony” was demonstrated to the king. A month later in 1670, at the end of November, the performance was presented at the Palais Royal.
However, after some time, the talented playwright radically transformed the original play. In addition to satire on Turkish customs, he supplemented the work with reflections on the topic of modern mores of the nobles.
Analysis of the work
Plot
Mr. Jourdain has money, a family and a good house, but he wants to become a true aristocrat. He pays barbers, tailors and teachers to make him a respectable nobleman. The more his servants praised him, the more he paid them. Any whims of the gentleman were embodied in reality, while those around him generously praised the naive Jourdain.
The dance teacher taught the minuet and the art of bowing correctly. This was important for Jourdain, who was in love with a marquise. The fencing teacher told me how to strike correctly. He was taught spelling, philosophy, and learned the intricacies of prose and poetry.
Dressed in a new suit, Jourdain decided to take a walk around the city. Madame Jourdain and the maid Nicole told the man that he looked like a buffoon and everyone was rushing around with him only because of his generosity and wealth. A quarrel ensues. Count Dorant appears and asks Jourdain to lend him some more money, despite the fact that the amount of debt is already quite substantial.
A young man named Cleon loves Lucille, who reciprocates his feelings. Madame Jourdain agrees to her daughter's marriage to her lover. Mr. Jourdain, having learned that Cleont is not of noble origin, sharply refuses. At this moment Count Dorant and Dorimena appear. An enterprising adventurer courtes the marquise, transferring gifts from the naive Jourdain in his own name.
The owner of the house invites everyone to the table. The Marquise is enjoying delicious treats when suddenly Jourdain’s wife appears, who was sent to her sister. She understands what is happening and causes a scandal. The Count and the Marquise leave the house.
Koviel immediately appears. He introduces himself as a friend of Jourdain's father and a real nobleman. He talks about how the Turkish heir to the throne arrived in the city, madly in love with the daughter of Mr. Jourdain.
To become related, Jourdain needs to undergo a rite of passage into mamamushi. Then the Sultan himself appears - Cleont in disguise. He speaks in a fictitious language, and Koviel translates. This is followed by a mixed initiation ceremony, complete with ridiculous rituals.
Main characters
Mister Jourdain | The main character of "The Bourgeois" is Mr. Jourdain, a petty bourgeois who dreams of becoming a full-fledged representative of high society. A stupid and simple-minded man with a large fortune, he naively believes that with money you can buy yourself an aristocratic origin. He is a rude and vulgar ignoramus who pays huge sums of money to his teachers, hoping with their help to achieve refined manners and noble grandeur. He spends a lot of money on tailors, naively thinking that clothes will give him grace and gloss. |
Jourdain's wife | In "The Bourgeois" the heroine is the complete opposite of her husband. This is an educated, well-mannered and intelligent woman who soberly assesses opportunities and does not strive for unattainable goals. Practical and reasonable. She uses what she has wisely and tries to reason with her husband. Thinking about her daughter’s future, she hopes for a person who will be equal to her in intelligence and position in society. |
Dorant | The Count is a representative of the aristocracy and is friends with Jourdain for mercantile purposes. Vain and cunning. Taking advantage of Jourdain’s spontaneity and simple-minded naivety, without a twinge of conscience he presents the Marquise’s gifts as his own. He is aware of the upcoming prank, but does not warn Jourdain about it, preparing himself to hypocritically laugh at the stupid simpleton. |
Marquise | Dowager Marchioness Dorimena, representative of an eminent noble family. To earn her favor, Jourdain does all his recklessness. Hypocritical and deceitful, the marquise takes advantage of his benefits. |
Musil | A young girl, the daughter of Monsieur and Madame Jourbain. Represents a new generation. Musil is a well-mannered, intelligent and resourceful girl. Decisive and sincere. Musille is in love with Cleont, and cannot imagine life without him. She resolutely refuses to marry someone else, not realizing that it is Cleont in disguise. |
Cleont |
A young, noble man is in love with Musil, but does not have noble origins, and Jourdain is against him becoming his son-in-law. The servant came up with the idea of dressing him up as a noble Turk, and thus getting Jourdain’s consent. Jourdain personally joined the hands of the lovers and blessed them.
Characteristics of the main characters
Jourdain
Jourdain is the main character of the comedy, a bourgeois who wants to become a nobleman. He is naive and spontaneous, generous and reckless. Goes ahead towards his dream. He'll be happy to lend you money. If you make him angry, he instantly flares up and starts screaming and making trouble.
He believes in the omnipotence of money, so he uses the services of the most expensive tailors, hoping that their clothes will “do the trick.” He is fooled by everyone: from servants to close relatives and false friends. Rudeness and bad manners, ignorance and vulgarity contrast very noticeably with claims to noble gloss and grace.
Jourdain's wife
The wife of a tyrant and false nobleman is contrasted with her husband in the work. She is well-mannered and full of common sense. A practical and sophisticated lady always behaves with dignity. The wife tries to direct her husband to the “path of truth”, explaining to him that everyone is using him.
She is not interested in titles of nobility and is not obsessed with status. Madame Jourdain even wants to marry her beloved daughter to a person of equal status and intelligence, so that she can feel comfortable and good.
Dorant
Count Dorant represents the noble class. He is aristocratic and vain. He makes friends with Jourdain solely for selfish reasons.
The man's entrepreneurial spirit is manifested in the way he cleverly appropriates the gifts of the lover Jourdain, presented to the Marquise, as his own. He even passes off a given diamond as his own gift.
Knowing about Koviel's prank, he is in no hurry to warn his friend about the insidious plans of the scoffers. Rather, on the contrary, the count himself has plenty of fun with the stupid Jourdain.
Marchioness of Doriman
Marquise Dorimena is a widow and represents a noble noble family. For her sake, Jourdain studies all sciences, spends incredible amounts of money on expensive gifts and organizing social events.
She is full of hypocrisy and vanity. In the eyes of the owner of the house, she says that he has wasted so much on the reception, but at the same time enjoys the delicacies with pleasure. The marquise is not averse to accepting expensive gifts, but at the sight of her suitor’s wife, she pretends to be embarrassed and even offended.
Beloved
Lucille and Cleonte are people of a new generation. They are well-educated, smart and resourceful. Lucille loves Cleontes, so when she learns that she will be married off to someone else, she sincerely resists.
The young man really has something to love. He is intelligent, noble in manners, honest, kind and loving. He is not ashamed of his relatives, does not chase illusory statuses, openly declares his feelings and desires.
"A tradesman among the nobility" main characters
The main characters of the play “The Bourgeois in the Nobility” are divided into positive and negative; the dominant trait in their characters is clearly defined
“The Bourgeois in the Nobility” Moliere main characters
- Mister Jourdain
, - Madame Jourdain
, - Lucille
, their daughter, - Cleonte
, in love with Lucille - Dorimena
, marquise. - Dorant
, count in love with Dorimena - Nicole
, Jourdain's maid - Koviel
, servant of Cleontes - Music teacher
- Music teacher student
. - Dance teacher
. - fencing teacher
- Philosophy teacher
- Tailor
. - Tailor's Apprentice
- Two servants
.
“A tradesman among the nobility” characteristics of the heroes
Jourdain is the main character of "The Bourgeois in the Nobility" , for whom the desire to become a nobleman is a wonderful dream. Passionately wanting to fulfill this dream, Jourdain cannot think sensibly about anything, so everyone around him fools him, including his teachers of linguistics, philosophy, dancing, and fencing. However, with all the passion to “become noble,” Jourdain retains his lively nature and remains himself: when lending money, he always knows the score; if you make him angry, he swears and fights, forgetting all the rules of high society; studying science, he chooses the most practical one; he prefers a cheerful folk song to the mournful song of the shepherds; he glorifies science for the existence of vowels and consonants, and is delighted with the fact that he speaks in prose.
Madame Jourdain , a wife, is smart and well-read compared to her husband, it’s not easy to fool her, she immediately sees the catch. Jourdain's wife, a true representative of the nobility. She is a sensible, practical woman with self-esteem. She is trying with all her might to resist her husband’s mania, his inappropriate claims: “You are obsessed with all these fads, hubby. And this began for you from the moment you decided to associate with important gentlemen.” All efforts of Madame Jourdain are aimed at clearing the house of uninvited guests who live at the expense of her husband and use his gullibility and vanity for their own purposes: “That’s it, drive your teachers in the neck with all their gibberish.”
Lucille is stubborn, in love with Cleonte, Jourdain's daughter. Lucille received a good upbringing; she loves Cleontes for his virtues. Therefore, not knowing about the idea of her lover and his servant, she is sincerely indignant and resists her father’s attempt to marry her to the son of the Turkish Sultan: “No, father, I have already told you that there is no force that would force me to marry anyone.” anyone other than Cleont."
Cleont is in love with Lucille. Cleont is noble not by origin, but by character, he is honest, truthful, loving. Cleont is sure that only a person’s spiritual nobility and his reasonable behavior in society are true. In his opinion, any deception casts a shadow on a person. The image of Cleont embodied the ideal of classicism: only one who in his behavior was guided by the requirements of reason and proceeded from what was considered good could be a truly noble person.
Count Dorant has a noble origin, refined manners, and captivating appearance. But at the same time, he is a poor adventurer, a swindler, ready for any meanness, even pimping, for the sake of money.
Nicole is a maid who is in love with Koviel.
Koviel is a servant who is in love with Nicole.
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