Monsieur Jourdain - the main character comedy. Moliere wrote the comedy "Bourgeois in the Nobility" in 1670. The reason for its creation was the direct instruction of Louis XIV to ridicule Turkish ceremonies in comedy. However, Moliere went beyond the scope of the royal order and created an excellent piece, directed against the social diseases of modern France. He turned to the actual problem at that time: the impoverishment of the aristocrats and the penetration of wealthy bourgeois into their midst, striving to buy a title of nobility for a lot of money. As we know, Moliere has always followed the principle of "fixing people by entertaining them." So the great satirist tried in his work to ridicule Monsieur Jourdain, who is ready to sacrifice everything in order to become his own man in aristocratic circles. But Jourdain could not be a nobleman either by birth or by upbringing.
We, the readers, from the very first minute of our acquaintance with the heroes of the comedy, it becomes clear that Moliere directed all the power of his talent precisely to show the stupidity of Jourdain's venture, seeking to give his capital just for the noble coat of arms. You cannot call his undertaking otherwise than insanity. The music teacher speaks about this, having correctly noticed the obsession of his master: "Monsieur Jourdain with his obsession with the nobility and secular behavior is just a treasure for us."
A wealthy bourgeois does not limit himself to the desire to simply acquire a title of nobility and thereby become on a par with sewing. It is commendable that Jourdain also wants to be reborn internally, to acquire all the qualities and characteristics of an aristocrat. That is why he spares no expense and hires teachers, hoping to help him make his dream come true. He is not ashamed to study "in his old age". Jourdain understands in his own way that the charm of education is not so much in its applied, practical usefulness, but in the opening possibilities of communication: “I want to get my head up so that I can talk about anything with decent people”.
But how ridiculous is Jourdain in some of his confessions about his education: "I had no idea that for more than forty years I have been talking in prose." Simple-hearted, childish joy, admiration for other people's knowledge, reverence in their own way for science, sincere contrition with their ignorance - all this arouses sympathy.
Moliere shows that one of the main characteristics of the hero is vanity. Jourdain, to a certain extent, could be proud of many things: the acquired fortune, the ability to do business, an intelligent daughter, a housewife. Now his connections with the nobles are ridiculous for those around him and do not correspond at all to the usual way of life of a bourgeois, but most importantly, they are unprofitable. Money leaves the house, the usual order of life is disrupted, ties with their circle are weakening.
Living in two worlds - real and fictitious - Jourdain is deprived of the opportunity to act and feel naturally, which serves as an inexhaustible beginning of ridicule at him. The veil does not fall from the eyes of Jourdain until the last remarks of Koviel: "Well, you will not find another such madman in the whole world!" He is very funny in his red velvet pants, green camisole, in tight stockings with lowered loops, in painfully tight shoes. Reading a comedy makes you feel as uncomfortable as Jourdain. The playwright gives us the opportunity to understand what the hero cannot understand: nothing can replace culture and education, even a bright dress and the appeal "your grace".
Jourdain's stupidity is the reason for his failure. Blinded by the splendor of aristocracy, the merchant Jourdain lost a lot: Count Dorant was begging for money from him. The author punishes his hero - he remains fooled, not understanding the essence of what is happening. Depicting Jourdain in this way, Moliere declares his humanistic position: he rejects not only the path chosen by the hero, but also the very idea of \u200b\u200bthe dependence of a person's value on social class.
Of course, we feel sorry for this bourgeois, but at the same time we would like to warn our contemporaries using his example: money cannot buy a mind, but lose the latter; not appearance adorns a person, but his inner rich world. Jourdain admitted defeat, And in this he was helped by the people to whom he is dear.
But the main conclusion that Moliere makes is that the nobles whom Jourdain took as a model are not at all worthy of him, that aristocrats are rogues, thieves, and idlers.
And in this, Jourdain stands morally above them, he is cleaner in his thoughts and lifestyle.
Essay on the topic: Characteristics of the image of Monsieur Jourdain
The protagonist of Moliere's comedy "The Bourgeois in the Nobility" Monsieur Jourdain is the author's masterful image of the nouveau riche and upstart. Its appearance in the work was due to the social position of the then French society: against the background of the impoverishment of the nobility, the bourgeoisie is increasingly enriching, more and more it seeks to equalize with the aristocracy. So the wealthy merchant Jourdain has only one concern - in everything to become like a nobleman and earn respect in high society.
Following the traditions of the nobility, Monsieur Jourdain hires teachers for himself and seeks to gain knowledge of music, philosophy, to learn to fence and dance like nobles. And teachers only take advantage of his imperfection and, as they can, extract money from him. Each of the teachers declares that his science is important, and that it should be studied more deeply. But Monsieur Jourdain needs much less from his mentors, because his knowledge of the higher world is only superficial. Therefore, in response to offers to learn physics, ethics and logic, Mr. Jourdain asks the teacher-philosopher to teach him only "to recognize by the calendar when there is a month and when not."
Monsieur Jourdain naively believed in the all-conquering power of money and believed that in order to become a real nobleman, it was enough to hire an expensive tailor, and not spare money on a dress, and learn "noble manners". Vanity also pushes Jourdain's expenses. For example, once having heard the address to himself "your grace", Monsieur Jourdain increases the tip for the tailor's apprentices, and those, having seen his weakness, in their appeals reduce him first to "excellency", and then to "lordship", for which they receive everything more and more money.
The same vanity is the reason for Jourdain's refusal to Cleonte, his daughter's fiancé. Unlike Cleontes, who believes that a happy and strong marriage can only be with an equal in state, Monsieur Jourdain thinks quite differently. At the request of Lucille's hand, he replies: "My daughter will be the marquise, and if you anger me even more, I will make her a duchess."
It should be noted that Monsieur Jourdain was a fairly good person. He earned his capital with hard work, and did not spare money for those whom he considered his friends. But he was so naive that his simplicity was used by those who wanted to cash in on him. If not for his blind desire to become a nobleman at any cost, his life would have been completely different.
According to the tradition of comedy, everything ends happily. She marries her beloved daughter of Monsieur Jourdain and everything seems to be falling into place. But the author still leaves open the question of whether Monsieur Jourdain managed to break into elite... This question must be answered by the readers themselves, taking into account all the circumstances and the character of the hero.
In 1670 he wrote the comedy-ballet "Bourgeois in the Nobility" by Moliere. Summary and the characteristics of the main characters of the work are presented in this article. Let's start with a quick summary.
Jourdain decides to become a nobleman
One gentleman, an honorary bourgeois, seems to have everything one could wish for - money, health, family. However, he took it into his head to become a noble lord. "What's the name of the main character?" - you ask. Monsieur Jourdain. It is he, the main character of the work, who begins the pursuit of aristocracy. To do this, he hires teachers, tailors, who must make him a nobleman. Moreover, each of them wants to cheat Jourdain, saying exorbitant compliments to his education, talent and taste.
Jourdain's lessons from the comedy "Bourgeois in the Nobility" (Moliere)
The summary of his studies is as follows. The author describes how Julien invites the audience to appreciate his extravagant robe. Of course, there is no limit to the admiration of teachers, because the amount of money he receives from him depends on what grade to give to the master's taste. Everyone invites Jourdain to do dancing and playing music - what noble gentlemen do. The dancer begins to teach the bourgeois minuet, and the musician insists on the need for weekly home concerts.
However, the graceful body movements of the protagonist are interrupted by the fencing teacher. He says that it is his subject that is the science of sciences. The teachers, carried away by the dispute, came to assault. The philosophy teacher, who came up a little later, tried, at the request of Jourdain, to reconcile the fighting. However, as soon as he advised everyone to take up philosophy - the most important of the sciences, he himself was embroiled in a fight.
The philosopher, pretty shabby, nevertheless began his lesson. However, the philistine refused to engage in logic and ethics. Then the teacher began to talk about pronunciation, and this caused Jourdain's childhood joy. His delight at the discovery of the fact that he speaks prose was truly great. An attempt to improve the text of the note addressed to the lady of the heart failed. The bourgeois decided to leave his version, considering it the best.
New costume and failed attempts to impress
The tailor who came was the most important of all sciences, and the philosopher was forced to retire. Jourdain had a new suit made in the latest fashion. Lavishly flavored ("Your Grace"), it drained Jourdain's wallet substantially.
His sober wife spoke out strongly against her husband's walk through the Parisian streets, since he had already become a laughing stock in the city without this. The effort to impress the maid and wife with the fruits of training failed. Nicole calmly said "y", and then, without any rules, pricked her master with a sword.
Count Dorant's visit
We continue to retell. "Bourgeois in the Nobility" is a work that further describes the visit of Count Dorant, the new "friend" of Jourdain. This is a liar and a squandered rogue. Entering the drawing-room, the count noticed that in the royal chambers he was talking about the owner of the house. Dorant has already borrowed 15,800 livres from a gullible bourgeois and has now come to borrow 2,000 more. In gratitude for this, he decides to arrange the amorous affairs of his "friend" with the Marquis Dorimena - the woman for whom the dinner party is being arranged.
Unsuccessful matchmaking and Koviel's idea
The tradesman's wife is worried about the fate of her daughter. The fact is that the girl's hands are asked by the young man Cleont, to whom Lucille reciprocates. Nicole (the maid) brings the groom to Jourdain. He sees his daughter as either a duchess or a marquise, therefore he refuses the young man. Cleont is in despair, but Koviel, his agile servant, who, by the way, claims to be Nicole's hand, volunteers to help his master. He is planning something that will lead the intractable tradesman to consent to marriage.
Pleasing the Marquise
Dorant and DORIMENA enter. The count brings the widowed marquise to the house of Jourdain not at all to please the gullible tradesman. He has been running after her for a long time, and the insane spending of the maddened Jourdain, which he ascribes to himself, plays into his hands.
The Marquise gladly sits down at a sumptuous table and eats exquisite dishes to the compliments of Jourdain, this strange man. The hostess of the house, who appears, breaks the magnificent atmosphere with her anger. Her husband assures her that it is the Count who is giving lunch. However, Madame Jourdain does not believe her husband. Offended by the accusations made by the mistress of the house against her, Doremena, and with her and Dorant, decide to leave the house.
Initiation into "mamamushi"
What then does Moliere talk about in the comedy "Bourgeois in the Nobility"? The summary will help you remember or learn about what happened after Dorimena and Dorant left. A new guest appears in the house. This is a disguised Koviel. He says that Jourdain's father was allegedly a real nobleman, not a merchant. After this statement, he can safely hang noodles on the ears of a tradesman. Koviel tells that the son of the Turkish Sultan has arrived in the capital. Seeing Lucille, he was mad with love and certainly wants to marry this girl. However, before that, he longs to initiate his future father-in-law into "mamamushi" (Turkish nobleman).
Disguised as Cleont is the son of the Turkish Sultan. He speaks gibberish, and Koviel translates it into French. This is accompanied by songs, dances, Turkish music. According to the ritual, the future "mamamushi" are beaten with sticks.
The final
What is the ending prepared for the reader of the work "Bourgeois in the Nobility" by Moliere? We will try to summarize it briefly, without missing the main thing. Dorimena and Dorant return to the house. They seriously congratulate the tradesman on the high title he has received. The "nobleman" wants to marry his daughter off to the son of the Turkish sultan as soon as possible. Having recognized the disguised lover in the Turk jester, Lucille humbly agrees to fulfill her father's will. Koviel in a whisper introduces Madame Jourdain to the heart of the matter, and after that she replaces anger with mercy. Father's blessing received. The messenger is sent for the notary. Dorimena and Dorant also decided to use his services. While waiting for the representative of the law necessary for registering marriages, guests watch a ballet, which was staged by a dance teacher.
The demands of the era and the innovation that Jean Baptiste Moliere carried out
"Bourgeois in the nobility" - a work that was written in the 17th century. This was an era that required the observance of the trinity of action, place and time. They were strictly followed by the classical literature of the time. In addition, genres were divided into "low" (comedies) and "high" (tragedies). Classical literature had to follow the following rule in portraying heroes: each of them fully illuminated one or another property of character (negative or positive), which was either ridiculed or elevated to virtue.
However, Moliere, observing in the main outlines the requirements of the era, stepped into realism. Departing from the examples of the classics of literature of that time, he, in the person of Jourdain, ridiculed the huge stratum of the rich bourgeois inhabiting the cities, who were eager to upper classes society. In order to emphasize how ridiculous and funny these upstart who strive to get into someone else's sleigh are, the satirist created a comedy-ballet, a completely new genre. Like some other classics of literature (Pushkin, Gogol, etc.), he is an innovator of form.
Episode from the life of Louis XIV, which became the basis of the comedy
Moliere wrote "The Bourgeois in the Nobility" for Louis XIV, french king, who was greatly hurt by the remark of the Turkish ambassador that the Sultan's horse was decorated much more elegant and richer than the king's horse. Jourdain's mocking and stupid dedication to "mamamushi", the dancing of dancers disguised as Turks - all this evokes laughter at what vanity does to a person, what a fool it turns him into. It is especially ugly where there is hope for accumulated wealth. In fact, no capital will oust the nobility of the family and the born aristocracy from the first roles. This is what Moliere wanted to show ("Bourgeois in the nobility"). The heroes depicted by him serve to reveal this thought.
The image of Jourdain
On his vain desire to break out into the nobility, not only the false teachers who assure the protagonist of his success in training profit from him, but also Dorant, a cunning and selfish count, who borrowed substantial sums from the bourgeoisie, blinded by his desire, and does not intend to return them. Jourdain, who believes that he is obliged to have a lady of the heart, gives the Marquise Dorimene a diamond through Doranta. Dorimena believes that this is a gift from the count. And it is to the Count that she attributes the ballet performance and the gourmet dinner.
In particular, this "philistine in the nobility" is ridiculous in the uncomfortable, but supposedly nobleman's costumes. The main characters laugh at him, but not only them: the servant, the teacher, and everyone around. The culmination is the initiation into "mamamushi", played by Koviel, a servant of Jourdain, disguised as a Turk. The newly made "mamamushi" cannot refuse "the son of the Turkish sultan" for joy. He consents to the marriage of his daughter as well as the marriage of the servants.
The merchant, calculating and energetic, dexterous and clever, seemed to have lost all these qualities when he decided to get himself the nobility. We involuntarily feel sorry for him when he has to fight off ridicule and he explains that he is striving for the title for the sake of his daughter. Practically uneducated, who worked a lot in life, but did not have the opportunity to comprehend science, the bourgeoisie realized the squalor of his own life and decided to provide a better future for his daughter. This diligence, however, did not bring good either to her or to Jourdain himself. The girl almost parted with her lover. Vanity is a poor helper in the desire to improve your position in society.
Jourdain's wife
Jourdain's wife always evokes positive feedback from the reader. "Bourgeois in the nobility" is a work in which a true representative of the nobility is depicted in her face. This is a practical, sane woman who has a sense of her own dignity. With all her strength, she tries to resist the mania of her husband. All her actions are aimed at driving out uninvited guests who live off Jourdain and use his vanity and credulity for their own purposes. Unlike her husband, she has no respect for the title of nobility and prefers to marry her daughter to common manwho would not look down on her philistine relatives.
Nobility in comedy
The nobility in the comedy is represented by two characters: the Marquise Dorimena and Count Dorant. The latter has a captivating appearance, exquisite manners, and noble origins. However, at the same time, he is a fraud, an impoverished adventurer, ready for any meanness for the sake of money, not excluding pandering. He calls Monsieur Jourdain a kind friend. This person is ready to praise him appearance, manners. Dorant "confesses" that he really wanted to see Jourdain. Then, having bribed him with gross flattery, he asks for a loan of more money. Acting as a subtle psychologist, Dorant notes that he would gladly be given a loan from many people, but he was afraid of offending Jourdain by asking someone else. This conversation is heard by the wife of a tradesman, therefore, the true reasons that gave rise to the strange friendship between Jourdain and Dorant are not revealed here. Alone with the bourgeois, the count reports that the marquis treated his gift favorably. It immediately becomes clear that Jourdain is trying to be like a nobleman not only by his manner and manner, but also by his "passion" for the Marquis, trying to attract her attention with gifts. However, the count is also in love with Doremena and uses Jourdain's means, his credulity and stupidity in order to gain the favor of the Marquis.
So, in general terms, the topic of interest to us is revealed. "Bourgeois in the nobility" is a work that can be analyzed in more detail. Based on the information provided and the original comedy, you can do it yourself. Discover features works of art always interesting.
This is a man completely captured by one dream - to become a nobleman. The opportunity to get closer to noble people is happiness for him, all his ambition is in achieving similarity with them, his whole life is a desire to imitate them. The thought of the nobility takes possession of him completely, in this mental blindness he loses any correct idea of \u200b\u200bthe world. He acts without reasoning, to the detriment of himself.
He reaches the point of spiritual meanness and begins to be ashamed of his parents. He is fooled by everyone who wants to; he is robbed by teachers of music, dance, fencing, philosophy, tailors and various apprentices. Rudeness, bad manners, ignorance, the vulgarity of the language and manner of Monsieur Jourdain comically contrast with his claims to noble grace and polish. But Jourdain evokes laughter, not disgust, because, unlike other similar upstarts, he bows before the nobility disinterestedly, out of ignorance, as a kind of dream of beauty. Monsieur Jourdain is opposed by his wife, a true representative of the philistine. This is a sane, practical woman with dignity.
She is trying with all her might to resist her husband's mania, his inappropriate claims, and most importantly, to cleanse the house of uninvited guests who live off Jourdain and exploit his credulity and vanity. Unlike her husband, she does not have any respect for the nobility and prefers to marry her daughter to a man who would be her equal and would not look down on her philistine relatives. The younger generation - Jourdain's daughter Lucille and her fiancé Cleont - are people of a new warehouse. Lucille received a good upbringing, she loves Cleontes for his merits. Cleonte is noble, but not by origin, but by character and moral qualities: honest, truthful, loving, he can be useful to society and the state. Who are those whom Jourdain wants to emulate? Count Dorant and the Marquise of Dorimen are people of noble birth, they have exquisite manners, captivating politeness.
But the count is a penniless adventurer, a swindler, ready for any meanness for the sake of money, even for pandering. Dorimen, along with Dorant, robs Jourdain. The conclusion to which Moliere brings the viewer is obvious: even if Jourdain is ignorant and simple, even if he is ridiculous, selfish, but he is an honest man, and there is nothing to despise him for. Morally credulous and naive in his dreams, Jourdain is higher than aristocrats. So the comedy-ballet, the initial purpose of which was to entertain the king in his castle Chambord, where he went hunting, became, under the pen of Moliere, a satirical, social work. In the work of Moliere, several themes can be distinguished, to which he repeatedly addressed, developing and deepening them. These include the theme of hypocrisy ("Tartuffe", "Don Juan", "Misanthrope", "The Imaginary Sick", etc.
), the theme of the philistine in the nobility ("School of wives", "Georges Danden", "The philistine in the nobility"), the theme of family, marriage, upbringing, education. The first comedy on this topic, as we remember, was "Ridiculous Cutie", it was continued in the "School of Husbands" and "School of Wives", and completed in the comedy "Scientists" (1672), which ridicules the external hobby for science and philosophy in paris salons second half of XVII in. Moliere shows how socialite literary salon turns into a "scientific academy" where vanity and pedantry are valued, where they try to cover up the vulgarity and sterility of the mind with claims to the correctness and grace of language (II, 6, 7; III, 2). Superficial enthusiasm for the philosophy of Plato or the mechanics of Descartes prevents women from fulfilling their immediate basic duties as a wife, mother, mistress of the house. Moliere saw a social danger in this.
He laughs at the behavior of his pseudo-learned heroines - Filaminta, Belize, Armanda. But he admires Henrietta, a woman of a clear, sober mind and by no means an ignoramus. Of course, Molière is not mocking science and philosophy here, but the fruitless play in them, which is harmful to the practical common view of life. The last work of Moliere, constantly reminding us of his tragic personal fate, was the comedy The Imaginary Sick (1673), in which the terminally ill Moliere played the main role. Like the earlier comedies (Love the Healer, 1665; The Reluctant Healer, 1666), The Imaginary Sick is a mockery of modern doctors, their quackery, complete ignorance, as well as their victim, Argan. Medicine in those days was not based on an experimental study of nature, but on scholastic speculations, based on authorities who ceased to be believed.
But, on the other hand, and Argan, a maniac who wants to see himself sick, is an egoist, a tyrant. He is opposed by the selfishness of his second wife, Belina, a hypocritical and selfish woman. This comedy of characters and morals depicts the fear of death, which completely paralyzed Argan. Blindly believing in ignorant doctors, Argan easily succumbs to deception - he is a stupid, deceived husband; but he is also a tough, angry, unjust man, a cruel father. Moliere showed here, as in other comedies, a deviation from the generally accepted norms of behavior that destroys the personality. The playwright died after the fourth performance of the play, on stage he felt bad and barely finished the performance.
On the same night, February 17, 1673, Moliere passed away. The burial of Moliere, who died without church repentance and did not renounce the "shameful" profession of an actor, turned into a public scandal. The Parisian archbishop, who did not forgive Moliere "Tartuffe", did not allow the great writer to be buried according to the accepted church rite. The intervention of the king was required. The funeral took place late in the evening, without proper ceremony, behind the fence of the cemetery, where unknown vagrants and suicides were usually buried.
However, behind Moliere's coffin, along with family, friends, colleagues, was a large crowd of ordinary people, whose opinion Moliere so subtly listened to. No wonder Boileau, who highly appreciated Moliere's work, accused his friend of being "too popular." The folklore of Moliere's comedies, which manifested itself both in their content and in their form, was based, first of all, on the folk traditions of farce. Moliere followed these traditions in his literary and acting work, maintaining a passion for democratic theater throughout his life. His folk characters also testify to the nationality of Moliere's creativity.
These are, first of all, servants: Mascarille, Sganarelle, Sozius, Scapin, Dorina, Nicole, Tuanette. It was in their images that Moliere expressed the characteristic features of the national French character: gaiety, sociability, affability, wit, dexterity, daring, common sense. In addition, in his comedies, Moliere portrayed the peasants and the peasant life with genuine sympathy (recall the scenes in the countryside in "The Reluctant Doctor" or in "Don Juan"). The language of Moliere's comedies also testifies to their true nationality: it often contains folklore material - proverbs, sayings, beliefs, folk songs that attracted Moliere with their spontaneity, simplicity, and sincerity (The Misanthrope, The Bourgeois in the Nobility). Moliere boldly used dialectisms, folk patois (dialect), various vernaculars, and incorrect phrases from the point of view of strict grammar. Sharpness, folk humor give Moliere's comedies a unique charm.
Characterizing Moliere's work, researchers often argue that in his works he "went beyond the boundaries of classicism." In this case, they usually refer to deviations from the formal rules of classicist poetics (for example, in Don Juan or some farcical comedies). One cannot agree with this. The rules for constructing a comedy were not interpreted as strictly as the rules for tragedy, and allowed wider variation. Molière is the most significant and most characteristic comedian of classicism. Sharing the principles of classicism as an artistic system, Moliere made genuine discoveries in the field of comedy. He demanded to truthfully display reality, preferring to go from direct observation life phenomena to create typical characters.
These characters acquire social definiteness under the pen of the playwright; many of his observations therefore turned out to be prophetic: such is, for example, the portrayal of the features of bourgeois psychology.
Monsieur Jourdain - main character Moliere's comedy "Bourgeois in the Nobility", a bourgeois dreaming of becoming a nobleman. Jourdain has cherished dream - learn secular manners and become a real aristocrat. To do this, he hires a host of teachers, tailors, hairdressers, musicians, etc. He is not stingy and spends a lot of money on their services, for which they promise to make him a real nobleman. This brings endless inconvenience to his household, but pleases the workers. They are ready to call him "Your Grace", "Your Grace", praise his ridiculous outfits and songs, just to get a generous payment. Jourdain himself is not an educated person, ignorant, with rude manners, but with a claim to the nobility. For readers and viewers, it is more likely to cause laughter rather than disdain.
Vanity pushes him to unnecessary waste. Everyone borrows from him, including Count Dorant, whom Madame Jourdain calls a "cash cow." Having fallen in love with the widow Marquess Dorimenu, he gives her diamonds, arranges receptions and performances. He asks the teachers to teach him how to bow before the ladies, write love notes. Meanwhile, the cunning Dorant attributes all these insane waste to himself, which wins the heart of Doremena. Blinded by the dream of becoming a nobleman, Jourdain is ready to interfere with the personal happiness of his only daughter. Young Cleont, who asks for her hand, is not a nobleman by blood, which is why Jourdain refuses him. However, Koviel, playing on the vanity of Jourdain, later introduces Cleontus as the heir to the Turkish sultan, madly in love with his daughter.