The Bourgeois Gentleman
Frontispiece illustration, 1982 editionOriginal title
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Also called
The Would-be Gentleman, The Middle-Class Gentleman, The Tradesman, The Shopkeeper Turned Gentleman
First performed
1670
First book publication
1673
Literary form
Play
Genres
Comedy-ballet, satire
Writing language
French
Author's country
France
Length
Five acts, approx. 26,000 words
Notable lines
This way, come in here and rest while you're waiting for him.
— First line
By my faith! For more than forty years I have been speaking prose without knowing anything about it, and I am much obliged to you for having taught me that.
Ah! What a fine thing it is to know something!
Pure praises do not provide a comfortable existence; it is necessary to add something solid, and the best way to praise is to praise with cash-in-hand.
All the troubles, all the wars one sees in the world happen only because people have not learned music.
Madame, it is a very great honor to me to be fortunate enough to be so happy as to have the joy that you should have had the goodness to accord me the graciousness of doing me the honor of honoring me with the favor of your presence; and, if I also had the merit to merit a merit such as yours, and if Heaven...envious of my luck...should have accorded me...the advantage of seeing me worthy...of the...
Him, a tradesman! It's pure slander, he never was one. All that he did was to be very obliging, very ready to help; and, since he was a connoisseur in cloth, he went all over to choose them, had them brought to his house, and gave them to his friends for money.
If one can find a greater fool, I'll go to Rome to tell it.
— Last line
See also:
Buy the book:
The Bourgeois Gentleman, trans. Duncombe
Tartuffe and The Bourgeois Gentleman (English and French)
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