Publisher's Synopsis
The Bores is a play written by the French playwright Jean Baptiste Poquelin, also known as Moliere. It was first performed in 1661 and is a comedy that satirizes the behavior of the French aristocracy. The play centers around a wealthy and pretentious couple, Monsieur and Madame Jourdain, who are determined to climb the social ladder and be accepted by the upper echelons of society. They constantly try to impress their neighbors and acquaintances with their wealth and status, but their attempts are often clumsy and ridiculous. The Jourdains' daughter, Lucile, is in love with a young man named Cleonte, but her father disapproves of the match because Cleonte is not of noble birth. Monsieur Jourdain instead wants his daughter to marry a wealthy but foolish aristocrat, Dorante. As the play progresses, the Jourdains' attempts to impress their peers become increasingly absurd, and their guests become increasingly exasperated with their behavior. Meanwhile, Cleonte and his servant Covielle hatch a plan to win over Monsieur Jourdain and convince him to approve of their marriage. The Bores is a classic example of Moliere's biting satire and his ability to skewer the foibles and pretensions of the French upper class. It is a witty and entertaining play that still resonates with audiences today.ORPH. I really must laugh, and declare that you are very silly to trouble yourself thus. The man of whom you speak, far from being able to please me, is a bore of whom I have succeeded in ridding myself; one of those troublesome and officious fools who will not suffer a lady to be anywhere alone, but come up at once, with soft speech, offering you a hand against which one rebels.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.