The Dramatic Works Of Moli Re

This is a book about how Molière, France's most celebrated author of comedies, made something strikingly new out of the traditional comedy plot of thwarted courtship. Though justly celebrated for his mastery of physical comedy and farce, one of Molière's key moves was to pay attention to the way women could use language. Seventeenth-century France was a time when speaking well became exceptionally important, and in this arena women were the trend-setters. Among the most important places to display taste and social skills were the salons, gatherings presided over by women. Yet women still enjoyed little in the way of rights, particularly regarding a central decision in their lives: the choice of a husband. French regulations of marriage contracts became increasingly restrictive, largely to the detriment of women. To draw attention to their plight, women novelists and essayists presented case studies in how men and women misunderstood one another, how women were coerced to wed, how marriages could become nightmares, and how courtships could fail. Against this fraught social background Molière showed women using one of the few assets they had, their mastery of words, and in particular the rhetoric of irony, to frustrate the plans of fathers, guardians, and other authority figures. The comedies discussed here include very well-known plays such as The Misanthrope, Tartuffe, The Learned Ladies, The School for Wives and Don Juan, and also less known but revealing and thought-provoking works such as The School for Husbands, George Dandin and Monsieur de Pourceaugnac.

'Why does he write those ghastly plays that the whole of Paris flocks to see? And why does he paint such lifelike portraits that everyone recognizes themselves?' Moliere, The Impromptu at Versailles This volume brings together four of Moliere's greatest verse comedies covering the best years of his prolific writing career. Actor, director, and playwright, Moliere (1622-73) was one of the finest and most influential French dramatists, adept at portraying human foibles and puncturing pomposity. The School for Wives was his first great success; Tartuffe, condemned and banned for five years, his most controversial play. The Misanthrope is his acknowledged masterpiece, and The Clever Women his last, and perhaps best-constructed, verse piece. In addition this collection includes a spirited attack on his enemies and a defence of his theatre, in the form of two sparkling short plays, The School for Wives Criticized and The Impromptu at Versailles. Moliere's prose plays are available in a complementary Oxford World's Classics edition, Don Juan and Other Plays. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

The Danish author Hans Christian Andersen was a prolific writer of novels, travelogues, poetry and fairy tales. Beloved stories such as ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The Snow Queen’, ‘The Ugly Duckling’ and ‘Thumbelina’ are among the most frequently translated works in all literary history. For the first time in publishing history, this comprehensive eBook presents Andersen’s complete fictional works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Andersen’s life and works * Concise introductions to the novels and other texts * All 6 novels in English translation, with individual contents tables * Features rare novels appearing for the first time in digital publishing * Excellent formatting of the texts * The complete fairy tales specially arranged in chronological order, with many rare stories often missed out of collections – translations by H. P. Paull * Famous works such as THE LITTLE MERMAID and THE UGLY DUCKLING are illustrated with their original Danish artwork * Special alphabetical contents table for the fairy tales * Easily locate the tales you want to read * Includes Andersen’s complete travelogues – available in no other collection * Features Andersen’s extended 1870 autobiography, first time in digital print - discover the author’s intriguing life * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Novels THE IMPROVISATORE O. T. ORIGINAL NOVEL IN TWO PARTS ONLY A FIDDLER THE TWO BARONESSES TO BE OR NOT TO BE? LUCKY PEER THE FAIRY TALES INTRODUCTION TO THE FAIRY TALES THE FAIRY-TALES LIST OF FAIRY TALES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER THE TRAVELOGUES A PICTURE BOOK WITHOUT PICTURES RAMBLES IN THE ROMANTIC REGIONS OF THE HARTZ MOUNTAINS, SAXON SWITZERLAND A POET’S BAZAAR PICTURES OF SWEDEN IN SPAIN A VISIT TO PORTUGAL THE NON-FICTION ALBERT THORVALDSEN THE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES THE TRUE STORY OF MY LIFE, 1847 SUPPLEMENT TO THE STORY OF MY LIFE, 1870 THE CRITICISM HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN BY HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESEN Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles or to purchase this eBook as a Parts Edition of individual eBooks