Magdelon and Cathos, two young women from the provinces who have come to Paris in search of love and jeux d'esprit. Gorgibus, the father of Magdelon and uncle of Cathos, decides they should marry a pair of eminently eligible young men but the two women find the men unrefined and ridicule them.

Psyche's jealous sisters attempt to attract the attention of her two most recent suitors, without success. Psyche refuses both suitors before being called away by a messenger. The messenger then informs Psyche's sisters that she must be sacrificed on the mountain top and devoured by a monster. The sisters confess their delight before a group of mourners arrive on stage and sing the first intermède, the plainte italienne.

Orgon's family is up in arms because Orgon and his mother have fallen under the influence of Tartuffe, a pious fraud (and a vagrant prior to Orgon's help). Tartuffe pretends to be pious and to speak with divine authority, and Orgon and his mother no longer take any action without first consulting him.

After his wedding night with beautiful Alcmene, Amphitryon leaves to participate in a war. Jupiter, who is fascinated by Alcmene's beauty, come to earth under the appearance of Amphitryon, accompanied by Mercury who has taken the appearance of Amphitryon's servant Sosie. Amphitryon is successful in war and sends Sosie back home to report this. Sosie is greeted by his look-alike Mercury, who beats him and convinces him that he Mercury is the real Sosie....

Molière excels in farce as well as in higher comedy, and 'Monsieur de Pourceaugnac' is one of the best of its kind. The attacks upon the doctors of the time are not exaggerated. Molière acted the part of Mr. De Pourceaugnac.

The play takes place at Mr. Jourdain's house in Paris. Jourdain is a middle-aged 'bourgeois' whose father grew rich as a cloth merchant. The foolish Jourdain now has one aim in life, which is to rise above this middle-class background and be accepted as an aristocrat. To this end, he orders splendid new clothes and is very happy when the tailor's boy mockingly addresses him as 'my Lord'.

Extrait : "Moi dont les époux essuient la raillerie, A mon tour, dans un mois d'ici, je me marie. - Vous allez voir comment je me trouve forcé, A l'âge o l'hymenée est un acte insensé, D'aller, moi plein de goût, prendre une légitime, Laide - à ne pas tenter l'ami le plus intime ! A certaine soirée o (quoique pas renté), Je brillais parmi la plus riche parenté, A titre de cousin, donc, je me trouvais être, Qui me devra bientt, de par l'autorité,...

Extrait : "Messieurs et mesdames… Non, pardon, je ne suis pas poli, on commence toujours par les dames !... Mesdames et messieurs… cependant ce que j'ai à dire intéresse plutt les messieurs que les dames. - Je ne peux pourtant faire sortir les dames. (Finaud.) Je ne viens que pour elles… - Voyons, que celles qui veulent sortir lèvent la main… personne ? Oh bien, tant pis ! vous saurez tout." À PROPOS DES ÉDITIONS LIGARAN : Les...