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    The Miser, or, the School for Lies: L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge
    The Miser, or, the School for Lies: L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge
    The Miser, or, the School for Lies: L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge
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    The Miser, or, the School for Lies: L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge

    By Molière and Charles Heron Wall

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    About this ebook

    Jean-Baptiste Poquelin is better known to us by his stage name of Molière. He was born in Paris, to a prosperous well-to-do family on 15th January 1622.

    In 1631, his father purchased from the court of Louis XIII the posts of "valet of the King's chamber and keeper of carpets and upholstery" which Molière assumed in 1641. The benefits included only three months' work per annum for which he was paid 300 livres and also provided a number of lucrative contracts.

    However in June 1643, at 21, Molière abandoned this for his first love; a career on the stage. He partnered with the actress Madeleine Béjart, to found the Illustre Théâtre at a cost of 630 livres.

    Unfortunately despite their enthusiasm, effort and ambition the troupe went bankrupt in 1645.

    Molière and Madeleine now began again and spent the next dozen years touring the provincial circuit. His journey back to the sacred land of Parisian theatres was slow but by 1658 he performed in front of the King at the Louvre.

    From this point Molière both wrote and acted in a large number of productions that caused both outrage and applause. His many attacks on social conventions, the church, hypocrisy and other areas whilst also writing a large number of comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets are the stuff of legend.

    ‘Tartuffe’, ‘The Misanthrope’, ‘The Miser’ and ‘The School for Wives’ are but some of his classics.

    His death was as dramatic as his life. Molière suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis. One evening he collapsed on stage in a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging while performing in the last play he'd written, in which, ironically, he was playing the hypochondriac Argan, in ‘The Imaginary Invalid’.

    Molière insisted on completing his performance.

    Afterwards he collapsed again with another, larger haemorrhage and was taken home. Priests were sent for to administer the last rites. Two priests refused to visit. A third arrived too late. On 17th February 1673, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, forever to be known as Molière, was pronounced dead in Paris. He was 51.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStage Door
    Release dateJul 21, 2018
    ISBN9781787800960
    The Miser, or, the School for Lies: L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge
    Author

    Molière

    Molière was a French playwright, actor, and poet. Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and universal literature, his extant works include comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more.

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      Book preview

      The Miser, or, the School for Lies - Molière

      The Miser by Molière

      or, the School for Lies

      L'Avare

      Jean-Baptiste Poquelin is better known to us by his stage name of Molière. He was born in Paris, to a prosperous well-to-do family on 15th January 1622.

      In 1631, his father purchased from the court of Louis XIII the posts of valet of the King's chamber and keeper of carpets and upholstery which Molière assumed in 1641. The benefits included only three months' work per annum for which he was paid 300 livres and also provided a number of lucrative contracts.

      However in June 1643, at 21, Molière abandoned this for his first love; a career on the stage.  He partnered with the actress Madeleine Béjart, to found the Illustre Théâtre at a cost of 630 livres.

      Unfortunately despite their enthusiasm, effort and ambition the troupe went bankrupt in 1645.

      Molière and Madeleine now began again and spent the next dozen years touring the provincial circuit.  His journey back to the sacred land of Parisian theatres was slow but by 1658 he performed in front of the King at the Louvre.

      From this point Molière both wrote and acted in a large number of productions that caused both outrage and applause.  His many attacks on social conventions, the church, hypocrisy and other areas whilst also writing a large number of comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets are the stuff of legend.

      ‘Tartuffe’, ‘The Misanthrope’, ‘The Miser’ and ‘The School for Wives’ are but some of his classics.

      His death was as dramatic as his life.  Molière suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis. One evening he collapsed on stage in a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging while performing in the last play he'd written, in which, ironically, he was playing the hypochondriac Argan, in ‘The Imaginary Invalid’.

      Molière insisted on completing his performance.

      Afterwards he collapsed again with another, larger haemorrhage and was taken home. Priests were sent for to administer the last rites. Two priests refused to visit. A third arrived too late.  On 17th February 1673, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, forever to be known as Molière, was pronounced dead in Paris. He was 51.

      Index of Contents

      NOTES

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      SCENE: PARIS, in HARPAGON'S house.

      THE MISER (L’AVARE)

      ACT I

      SCENE I

      SCENE II

      SCENE III

      SCENE IV

      SCENE V

      SCENE VI

      SCENE VII

      SCENE VIII

      SCENE IX

      SCENE X

      ACT II

      SCENE I

      SCENE II

      SCENE III

      SCENE IV

      SCENE V

      SCENE VI

      ACT III

      SCENE I

      SCENE II

      SCENE III

      SCENE IV

      SCENE V

      SCENE VI

      SCENE VII

      SCENE VIII

      SCENE IX

      SCENE X

      SCENE XI

      SCENE XII

      SCENE XIII

      SCENE XIV

      SCENE XV

      ACT IV

      SCENE I

      SCENE II

      SCENE III

      SCENE IV

      SCENE V

      SCENE VI

      SCENE VII

      ACT V

      SCENE I

      SCENE I

      SCENE II

      SCENE III

      SCENE IV

      SCENE V

      SCENE VI

      MOLIÈRE – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

      MOLIÈRE – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

      NOTES

      This play was acted for the first time on September 9, 1668. In it, Molière has borrowed from Plautus, and has imitated several other authors, but he far surpasses them in the treatment of his subject. The picture of the miser, in whom love of money takes the place of all natural affections, who not only withdraws from family intercourse, but considers his children as natural enemies, is finely drawn, and renders Molière's Miser altogether more dramatic and moral than those of his predecessors.

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      Harpagon*, father to Cléante, in love with Marianne.

      Cléante, Harpagon's son, lover to Marianne.

      Valère, son to Anselme, and lover to Élise.

      Anselme, father to Valère and Marianne.

      Master Simon, broker.

      Master Jacques, cook and coachman to Harpagon.

      La Flèche, valet to Cléante.

      Brindavoine, and La Merluche, lackeys to Harpagon.

      A Magistrate and his Clerk.

      Élise, daughter to Harpagon.

      Marianne, daughter to Anselme.

      Frosine, an intriguing woman.

      Mistress Claude, servant to Harpagon.

      *Molière acted the part of Harpagon.

      SCENE: PARIS, in Harpagion’s house.

      THE MISER

      ACT I

      SCENE I

      VALÈRE, ÉLISE.

      VALÈRE

      What, dear Élise! you grow sad after having given me such dear tokens of your love; and I see you sigh in the midst of my joy! Can you regret having made me happy? and do you repent of the engagement which my love has forced from you?

      ÉLISE

      No, Valère, I do not regret what I do for you; I feel carried on by too delightful a power, and I do not even wish that things should be otherwise than they are. Yet, to tell you the truth, I am very anxious about the consequences; and I greatly fear that I love you more than I should.

      VALÈRE

      What can you possibly fear from the affection you have shown me?

      ÉLISE

      Everything; the anger of my father, the reproaches of my family, the censure of the world, and, above all, Valère, a change in your heart! I fear that cruel coldness with which your sex so often repays the too warm proofs of an innocent love.

      VALÈRE

      Alas! do not wrong me thus; do not judge of me by others. Think me capable of everything, Élise, except of falling short of what I owe to you. I love you too much for that; and my love will be as lasting as my life!

      ÉLISE

      Ah! Valère, all men say the same thing; all men are alike in their words; their actions only show the difference that exists between them.

      VALÈRE

      Then why not wait for actions, if by them alone you can judge of the truthfulness of my heart? Do not suffer your anxious fears to mislead you, and to wrong me. Do not let an unjust suspicion destroy the happiness which is to me dearer than life; but give me time to show you by a thousand proofs the sincerity of my affection.

      ÉLISE

      Alas! how easily do we allow ourselves to be persuaded by those we love. I believe you, Valère; I feel sure that your heart is utterly incapable of deceiving me, that your love is sincere, and that you will ever remain faithful to me. I will no longer doubt that happiness is near. If I grieve, it will only be over the difficulties of our position, and the possible censures of the world.

      VALÈRE

      But why even this fear?

      ÉLISE

      Oh, Valère! if everybody knew you as I do, I should not have much to fear. I find in you enough to justify all I do for you; my heart knows all your merit, and feels, moreover, bound to you by deep gratitude. How can I forget that horrible moment when we met for the first time? Your generous courage in risking your own life to save mine from the fury of the waves; your tender care afterwards; your constant attentions and your ardent love, which neither time nor difficulties can lessen! For me you neglect your parents and your country; you give up your own position in life to be a servant of my father! How can I resist the influence that all this has over me? Is it not enough to justify in my eyes my engagement to you? Yet, who knows if it will be enough to justify it in the eyes of others? and how can I feel sure that my motives will be understood?

      VALÈRE

      You try in vain to find merit in what I have done; it is by my love alone that I trust to deserve you. As for the scruples you feel, your father himself justifies you but too much before the world; and his avarice and the distant way in which he lives with his children might authorise stranger things still. Forgive me, my dear Élise, for speaking thus of your father

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