What is Moliere laughing at in the comedy “The Bourgeois in the Nobility”?


Moliere is a playwright, poet, actor – created wonderful plays, still not descending from the scenes of many theaters of the world, such as “Tartuffe”, “Don Juan”, “Misanthrope”. And one of the best, brightest of his comedies is “The Bourgeois in the Nobility”, where the author drew a satirical image of the bourgeois.

Before us, the petty bourgeois Jourdain is the protagonist of the play, trying to suddenly turn from a bourgeois into a nobleman. It seems to him that for this he has the main thing – money. There is money, but there is no elementary education, no manners, and most importantly there is no mind, he is hopelessly stupid. In his old age, Jourdain decided to study philosophy, engage in music, dance, fencing. He seriously believes that having received some knowledge and having money, one can take a place among noble noblemen. He surrounds himself with servants and teachers who demand high fees for work, but do

not fulfill and do not think of doing it. And the “noble” sciences do not fit too well in the head of a stupid bourgeois. His wife tries to appeal to the discretion of her husband and asks to stop countless spending, but he does not want to hear anything.

Jourdain is so stupid that even a comic initiation into “mamu” takes seriously. It would seem that Jourdain’s desire to poke a mind-reason is worthy of respect. But how ridiculous is he when he wants to do it in a few days!

Moliere laughs at the boundless stupidity of Jourdain. And on the example of the philistine once again shows how low and uncouth can be even a rich man who believes that money can buy a mind. But the great playwright does not laugh at a particular person. He ridicules the desire to imitate some external signs of the upper class, without changing internally. The main thing is not in the title, not in the costume, says Molière. Honor and dignity, intelligence and education are not bought.


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What is Moliere laughing at in the comedy “The Bourgeois in the Nobility”?