The Bourgeois Gentleman - Molière

Summary

Monsieur Jourdain, a wealthy Parisian bourgeois, is consumed by the ambition to ascend to the nobility and acquire the refined manners of a gentleman. Despite his considerable wealth, he lacks education and taste, making him an easy target for charlatans. He hires a succession of masters—for music, dance, fencing, and philosophy—to instruct him in the arts he believes essential to a noble upbringing, often making a fool of himself in the process. He is also infatuated with the Marquise Dorimène, a widow of high society, and is shamelessly exploited by the impoverished but cunning Count Dorante, who acts as an intermediary, ostensibly helping Jourdain woo Dorimène while secretly using Jourdain's money to pay off his own debts and finance Dorimène's courtship for himself.

Jourdain's aspirations clash with his daughter Lucile's desire to marry Cléonte, a worthy young man of common birth. Jourdain refuses the match, insisting his daughter must marry a nobleman. To overcome this obstacle, Cléonte's clever valet, Covielle, devises an elaborate ruse. He informs Jourdain that Cléonte is actually the son of the Grand Turk, disguised as a commoner, and that the "Grand Turk" himself wishes to bestow upon Jourdain the title of "Mamamouchi" (a made-up Turkish dignity) as a prelude to the marriage between Lucile and his "son."

Jourdain, utterly deluded by the prospect of nobility and exotic grandeur, eagerly embraces the preposterous Turkish ceremony, in which he is subjected to ridiculous rituals and pronouncements in gibberish. He is then thrilled to "marry" his daughter to Cléonte, who is disguised as the "son of the Grand Turk." Madame Jourdain, initially suspicious and resistant to the absurd marriage, is eventually persuaded that it is all an elaborate play for her husband's amusement. Dorante also benefits by using Jourdain's generosity to arrange his own marriage to Dorimène, effectively having Jourdain pay for their wedding feast. The play concludes with everyone achieving their desired outcome, except for Monsieur Jourdain, who remains blissfully ignorant of being the butt of the grand deception, basking in his newly "acquired" noble status.

Book Sections

Section 1: Act I

Monsieur Jourdain is introduced in his house, surrounded by his various teachers. The Music Master and Dancing Master are rehearsing a new composition and a ballet, respectively, intended to be performed for Jourdain. They discuss the financial benefits of having a wealthy, if uncultivated, patron like Jourdain. Jourdain enters, wearing a ridiculous morning gown, eager to learn. He is critical of their work, demonstrating his lack of artistic judgment, but is enthusiastic about becoming "a man of quality." He speaks of a serenade he wishes to have performed for the Marquise Dorimène, whom he secretly admires, and of an expensive new suit being made for him. The masters, recognizing his vanity, flatter him extravagantly, praising his "good taste" and "noble inclinations."

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Monsieur Jourdain	Wealthy bourgeois, vain, gullible, obsessed with social climbing and nobility, lacks genuine taste and common sense.	To become a "gentleman" and attain noble status, to learn the arts and manners of the aristocracy, to impress the Marquise Dorimène, and to gain the social acceptance and respect he believes his wealth alone cannot provide. He seeks validation and is easily flattered.
Music Master	Opportunistic, skilled in his craft, but willing to compromise artistic integrity for profit.	To flatter and exploit Monsieur Jourdain's vanity and desire for nobility to secure payment and continued employment. To promote his art, even if the patron doesn't fully appreciate it.
Dancing Master	Similar to the Music Master, opportunistic, skilled, and pragmatic.	To flatter and exploit Monsieur Jourdain's vanity and desire for nobility to secure payment and continued employment. To promote his art.
Lackeys	Jourdain's household servants, primarily serving as background figures.	To serve their master. Their presence signifies Jourdain's wealth and aspiration to noble status, as they are part of his increasingly elaborate household.

Section 2: Act II

Jourdain's new, ostentatious, and comically ill-fitting suit arrives, delivered by his Tailor and the Tailor's Apprentice. The Tailor, much like the other masters, showers Jourdain with exaggerated flattery, calling him "My Lord" and "Your Excellency," which Jourdain believes wholeheartedly, leading him to offer generous tips to both the Tailor and his Apprentice. Next, Jourdain receives a Fencing Master, who gives him a lesson. This leads to a heated and comical argument between the Fencing Master, the Music Master, and the Dancing Master, each claiming the superiority of their art, almost resulting in a duel until Jourdain separates them. Finally, a Philosophy Master arrives to teach Jourdain logic, ethics, and physics. However, Jourdain is only interested in practical applications, specifically how to write a love letter to Dorimène. He is astonished to learn he has been speaking prose his entire life without realizing it and is meticulous about the correct spelling and arrangement of a simple phrase.

| Character | Characteristics | Motivations |
| Turk's Dervishes | | | Character | Characteristics | Character | Characteristics | Character | Characteristics |
| Turk's Dervishes | | |
| Turkish Dervishes | Cléonte's servants and the masters (Music Master, Dancing Master) involved in the play acting. | To assist in the elaborate deception and ensure the success of Cléonte's plan to marry Lucile. |
| Turk's Dervishes | Cléonte's servants and the masters (Music Master, Dancing Master) in costume, playing the roles of Turkish attendants. | To participate in the elaborate deception, adding an air of authenticity and exoticism to the staged ceremony, thereby convincing Jourdain of his "new" status and facilitating the marriages. |

Section 5: Act V

Monsieur Jourdain, now a proud "Mamamouchi," informs his wife and daughter of his new Turkish title and declares that Lucile must marry the son of the Grand Turk. Lucile, already informed of the plan by Covielle, pretends to be shocked and resistant but then "recognizes" Cléonte beneath his disguise, and joyfully accepts him as her husband. Madame Jourdain, however, remains skeptical, seeing through Cléonte's costume. Dorante and Covielle quickly reassure her, explaining that the whole affair is merely a harmless charade to allow Jourdain to indulge his fantasy of grandeur, and thus secure Lucile's marriage to the man she loves. Madame Jourdain, accepting that it's a "comédie," finally agrees. Dorante, taking advantage of Jourdain's exuberant mood, arranges his own marriage to Dorimène, effectively getting Jourdain to pay for the festivities for both weddings. Two notaries are called to formalize the unions. Nicole also expresses her desire to marry Covielle, and Jourdain, in his joyous delusion, readily grants his consent to all. The play concludes with a grand ballet, celebrating the successful manipulations and happy outcomes for everyone involved, except for Jourdain himself, who remains thoroughly duped but completely content with his imagined noble status.

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Literary Genre:

• Comedy (specifically comédie-ballet, a genre that combines spoken play with music and dance)
• Satire
• Farce

Author Facts:

• Full Name: Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, who adopted the stage name Molière.
• Birth and Death: Born in Paris on January 15, 1622, and died on February 17, 1673, also in Paris.
• Profession: He was a renowned French playwright, actor, and director.
• Legacy: Molière is widely regarded as one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature, celebrated for his wit, insightful social commentary, and psychological depth in portraying human foibles.
• Patronage: He enjoyed the patronage of King Louis XIV, which often provided him with protection against the numerous critics his satirical plays attracted.
• Famous Death: Molière famously collapsed on stage during a performance of his final play, Le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), and died shortly after.

Moral of the Play:
The primary moral of Le Bourgeois gentilhomme is a sharp critique of social pretension and the folly of attempting to be what one is not. Monsieur Jourdain's desperate and comical efforts to acquire noble status and manners, despite his inherent bourgeois background and lack of genuine understanding, are presented as ridiculous and ultimately fruitless. The play advocates for authenticity and being content with one's station, while satirizing both the superficiality of some aristocratic manners and the gullibility of those who seek to climb the social ladder through ostentation and imitation. It also serves as a warning against vanity, which makes one susceptible to exploitation by clever opportunists.

Curiosities of the Play:

• Royal Command: Le Bourgeois gentilhomme was commissioned by King Louis XIV. It is said that the King wished to have a play that would mock the then-current fashion for Turkish culture and customs, spurred by an unflattering incident involving a Turkish ambassador at his court.
• Comédie-ballet: This play is one of Molière's most successful comédie-ballets, a form he developed with the composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. These productions featured a blend of spoken dialogue, elaborate musical interludes, and ballet sequences, catering to Louis XIV's passion for dance and spectacle.
• The "Mamamouchi" Title: The Turkish dignity of "Mamamouchi," bestowed upon Monsieur Jourdain during the mock ceremony, is entirely fabricated and nonsensical. It's a key element in highlighting Jourdain's extreme gullibility and his readiness to believe anything that inflates his ego and desire for nobility.
• "For more than forty years I have been speaking prose without knowing it!": This line, uttered by Jourdain after his Philosophy Master explains the difference between prose and verse, is one of the most famous and frequently quoted lines in French literature. It perfectly encapsulates Jourdain's naive ignorance and newfound "enlightenment" regarding basic concepts.
• Extravagant Production: The original 1670 production at the Château of Chambord was incredibly lavish, featuring rich costumes, impressive stage machinery, and a large cast of dancers and musicians, reflecting the opulence of the French court.
• Timeless Satire: Despite being written in the 17th century, the play's themes of social ambition, pretension, and the exploitation of human vanity remain highly relevant and continue to resonate with audiences, making it one of Molière's most enduring and frequently performed works.