Learned Ladies. Les Femmes savantes is a comedy by Molière in five acts, written in verse.
A satire on academic pretension, female education, and préciosité, it was one of his most popular comedies. It premiered at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal on 11 March 1672.
Two young people, Henriette and Clitandre, are in love, but in order to marry, they must overcome an obstacle: the attitude of Henriette's family. Her sensible father and uncle are in favour of the marriage; but unfortunately her father is under the thumb of his wife, Philaminte.
And Philaminte, supported by Henriette's aunt and sister, wishes her to marry Trissotin, a scholar and mediocre poet with lofty aspirations, who has these three women completely in his thrall. For these three ladies are learned; their obsession in life is learning and culture of the most pretentious kind, and Trissotin is their special protégé and the fixture of their literary salon.
In Scene 1, Henriette tells her sister Armande of her intention to marry Clitandre. Armande, after scolding Henriette for rejecting the pursuit of learning for domesticity, says that she believes that Clitandre, once her own suitor, is still in love with her, despite the fact she refused him because of her devotion to scholarship. In Scene 2, Clitandre arrives and makes it clear that Armande is deluding herself; her coldness killed his love for her, and he is now truly in love with
A satire on academic pretension, female education, and préciosité, it was one of his most popular comedies. It premiered at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal on 11 March 1672.
Two young people, Henriette and Clitandre, are in love, but in order to marry, they must overcome an obstacle: the attitude of Henriette's family. Her sensible father and uncle are in favour of the marriage; but unfortunately her father is under the thumb of his wife, Philaminte.
And Philaminte, supported by Henriette's aunt and sister, wishes her to marry Trissotin, a scholar and mediocre poet with lofty aspirations, who has these three women completely in his thrall. For these three ladies are learned; their obsession in life is learning and culture of the most pretentious kind, and Trissotin is their special protégé and the fixture of their literary salon.
In Scene 1, Henriette tells her sister Armande of her intention to marry Clitandre. Armande, after scolding Henriette for rejecting the pursuit of learning for domesticity, says that she believes that Clitandre, once her own suitor, is still in love with her, despite the fact she refused him because of her devotion to scholarship. In Scene 2, Clitandre arrives and makes it clear that Armande is deluding herself; her coldness killed his love for her, and he is now truly in love with
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