The Misanthrope and Other Plays: A New Selection (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780140447309)

Moli鑽e (1622-73) combined all the traditional elements of comedy--wit, slapstick, spectacle and satire--with a deep understanding of character to create richly sophisticated dramas which have always delighted audiences. Most are built around dangerously deluded and obsessive heroes such as The Would-Be Gentleman and The Misanthrope who threaten to blight the lives of those around them. Such Foolish Affected Ladies and Those Learned Ladies (both newly translated for this edition) expose the extravagant, fashionable fads and snobbery of the Parisian smart set, while the story of the falsely devout Tartuffe and his devoted disciple Orgon attracted huge controversy for its attack on religious hypocrisy. Finally, The Doctor Despite Himself forms a hilarious chapter in Moli鑽e's long-standing vendetta against the medical profession.

Like Shakespeare, Moli鑽e was a true man of the theatre whose comedies blend sharp insight into human nature with an unerring sense of what would work on stage and make people laugh. All his greatest achievements are included here and in the accompanying Penguin Classics volume, The Miser and Other Plays.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Author: Moli鑽e
ISBN-10: 014044730X
ISBN-13: 9780140447309
Publisher: Penguin Group
Language: English
Published: 09/01/2000
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 7.76h x 5.16w x 0.85d