The Pretentious Ladies - Molière

Summary

"Les Précieuses ridicules" (The Pretentious Young Ladies) is a one-act comedy by Molière that satirizes the affected manners, exaggerated language, and artificial literary tastes of the "précieuses" of 17th-century Parisian society. The play follows two young women, Magdelon and Cathos, who have come to Paris seeking sophisticated love and intellectual refinement. They reject two perfectly suitable suitors, La Grange and Du Croisy, deeming them too ordinary and lacking in poetic sensibility. In retaliation, the rejected suitors instruct their valets, Mascarille and Jodelet, to disguise themselves as noblemen (a marquis and a viscount, respectively) and charm the two girls. Magdelon and Cathos are completely taken in by the valets' ludicrously affected speech, preposterous claims, and false sophistication. The deception reaches its peak when the real noblemen return, expose their valets, and humiliate the two "précieuses," leaving their father/uncle, Gorgibus, exasperated and ashamed.

Book Sections

Section 1

La Grange and Du Croisy, two gentlemen, are upset after being rejected by Magdelon and Cathos, who are the daughter and niece of Gorgibus. The girls found them too coarse and unrefined, despite their earnest intentions. They decide to take revenge on the pretentious young ladies by sending their valets, Mascarille and Jodelet, disguised as men of high society, to court them and make fools of them.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
La Grange	Gentleman, initially a suitor, hurt and vengeful.	To seek revenge for the rejection and humiliation he suffered.
Du Croisy	Gentleman, initially a suitor, also hurt and vengeful.	To seek revenge for the rejection and humiliation he suffered.
Gorgibus	Father of Magdelon and uncle of Cathos, practical, somewhat exasperated.	To see his daughter and niece suitably married and settled.
Magdelon	Daughter of Gorgibus, a "précieuse," obsessed with refined language, poetry, and exaggerated social graces.	To find a lover who embodies the idealized, sophisticated, and poetic qualities she reads about in novels; to escape the perceived vulgarity of ordinary life.
Cathos	Niece of Gorgibus, also a "précieuse," sharing Magdelon's affected manners and literary tastes.	To find a lover who embodies the idealized, sophisticated, and poetic qualities she reads about in novels; to escape the perceived vulgarity of ordinary life.

Section 2

Gorgibus confronts Magdelon and Cathos, scolding them for their ridiculous pretenses and for having rejected perfectly good suitors. He finds their obsession with high-flown language, elaborate courtesies, and the refusal to simply get married baffling and irritating. Magdelon argues that they must follow the "rules of gallantry" and that true love requires a long and complicated courtship, full of poetic exchanges and dramatic events, just like in the fashionable novels they read. Cathos agrees, lamenting the lack of a "Chamber of Novelists" to guide lovers through proper romantic stages. Gorgibus dismisses their notions as nonsensical, insisting they prepare to marry or face his displeasure.

Section 3

Marotte, the servant, announces the arrival of a "Marquis de Mascarille." Mascarille, La Grange's valet, enters dressed in an extravagantly fashionable costume and behaves with exaggerated aristocratic airs, speaking in affected, flowery language. Magdelon and Cathos are instantly captivated by his supposed elegance and wit. Mascarille immediately launches into a verbose, self-congratulatory speech, claiming to be a man of letters and a connoisseur of fine taste. He impresses the girls with his superficial charm and nonsensical compliments. He even claims to have composed a poem and then "sings" it, which is actually just a collection of nonsensical, rhyming couplets, to the girls' great admiration.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Marotte	Servant to Magdelon and Cathos, observes the events.	To serve her mistresses.
Mascarille	Valet to La Grange, disguised as a marquis, extremely affected, boastful, and foolish.	To carry out his master's revenge by fooling Magdelon and Cathos and making them look ridiculous.

Section 4

Another "nobleman" arrives: the Vicomte de Jodelet. This is Du Croisy's valet, also elaborately dressed and putting on equally ridiculous airs, claiming to have just returned from the wars with many injuries (which he pretends to display). The girls are thrilled to have two such "distinguished" visitors. Mascarille and Jodelet engage in a comically exaggerated display of mutual admiration and boastfulness, competing to impress the girls with tales of their supposed bravery, social connections, and artistic talents. They even invite the girls to a dance, and when a troupe of violinists arrives (sent by the real suitors), Mascarille and Jodelet dance with the girls, further cementing their belief that they are in the company of true aristocrats.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Jodelet	Valet to Du Croisy, disguised as a viscount, equally affected, boastful, and foolish, claims military experience.	To carry out his master's revenge by fooling Magdelon and Cathos and making them look ridiculous.

Section 5

Suddenly, La Grange and Du Croisy burst in, cane in hand. They publicly beat Mascarille and Jodelet, stripping them of their fine clothes and revealing them to be their valets. The "marquis" and "viscount" are revealed as mere servants, much to the horror and mortification of Magdelon and Cathos. The girls are devastated by the humiliation, realizing they have been completely duped by common servants dressed in borrowed finery. Gorgibus, utterly enraged and shamed by his daughter and niece's foolishness, chases the valets out. He expresses his deep disappointment and anger at the "précieuse" fashion, which has brought such disgrace upon his household. He warns the girls that their ridiculous affectations have earned them nothing but ridicule. The play ends with Gorgibus cursing the "ridiculousness" that has taken hold of society.

Literary Genre

Comedy of Manners, Satire.

Author Facts

• Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (Molière) (1622–1673) was a French playwright, actor, and director.
• He is considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature.
• Molière founded his own theatre company, "L'Illustre Théâtre," which initially struggled but eventually gained royal patronage.
• He wrote 33 plays, often performing the main roles himself.
• His works frequently satirized the hypocrisies, pretensions, and follies of 17th-century French society, from the bourgeoisie to the nobility.
• He died shortly after performing in his final play, "The Imaginary Invalid," on stage.

Moral and Curiosities

Moral/Message:
The play serves as a sharp critique of affectation, pretension, and the rejection of common sense in favor of artificial literary and social trends. Molière champions sincerity and naturalness over superficiality and exaggerated manners. It warns against being swayed by appearances and encourages a practical, grounded approach to life and relationships, rather than an idealized, unachievable one drawn from romantic novels. It also mocks the idea that nobility and refinement are solely demonstrated through convoluted language and elaborate, often absurd, social rituals.

Curiosities:

• Real-life Inspiration: "Les Précieuses ridicules" was inspired by a real social phenomenon in 17th-century France, where a group of intellectually snobbish and refined women (the "précieuses") gathered in salons to discuss literature, philosophy, and elaborate forms of love and language. Molière, however, targeted the ridiculous exaggerations and imitations of this movement, particularly among the provincial bourgeoisie attempting to emulate it.
• Immediate Success: The play was an instant success upon its premiere in 1659. It ran for an unprecedented number of performances and significantly boosted Molière's career and the reputation of his troupe. King Louis XIV was said to have greatly enjoyed it.
• Impact on the Movement: The play was so effective in its satire that it is said to have contributed to the decline of the extreme "précieuse" movement, making its followers self-conscious of their affected ways.
• One-Act Structure: Unlike many of Molière's longer works, "Les Précieuses ridicules" is a relatively short, one-act play, making its satirical punch concise and direct.
• The Power of Language: Molière masterfully uses language to expose the characters' foolishness. The valets' nonsensical, bombastic speech, filled with misused poetic terms and social jargon, highlights the absurdity of the "précieuses" who are so easily impressed by it.