Play Review Essay

If these two playwrights were to participate in a discourse with each other, perhaps Molière would say, “Do not try to move up.” To which Beaumarchais would respond. “Why would you want to move up?” A constant throughout the play is the disdain towards the nobility, and that becoming nobility brings negative qualities, which fit the revolutionary narrative. One instance of this can again be found in the fifth scene of act three. Almaviva tells Figaro he has the ability to move up the ladder, but Figaro responds, “Brains? Climb the ladder? Your Lordship must think I’m stupid. Second-rate and grovelling, that’s thing to be, and then the world’s your oyster.” While Jourdain represents the desire for that class to climb up ranks, due to the ideas

For a majority of time, especially pre-revolutionary France, women were seen as being passive and were expected to be subservient to men. Furthermore, the title of citizen, or bourgeois, was limited to men only. Furthermore, considering Molière’s audience, women in the play do take a more passive role compared to the men. First of all, Jourdain hires the various masters to improve himself alone and not alongside his wife, which fits in with that fact that being bourgeois was limited to males only. Moreover, the interactions between Jourdain and his wife often involve Jourdain disrespecting her. An example can be seen when Jourdain attempts to teach her about prose. Jourdain speaks to his wife and asks her to identify the way he is speaking. Being unable to so, Jourdain says, “It’s prose, you idiot.” This response is a good summary of almost all their interaction throughout the play. Even further, when his wife tries to warn him that he is being played by Dorante, Jourdain promptly responds with, “Bah! You’re a proper fool.” While Jourdain’s wife is often a voice of reason throughout the play, it is seldom that her opinion is acknowledged or, rather, she takes much action against anything. However, it is not just her, but the other female characters play passive roles as well. The servant Nicole is caught eavesdropping; the role of Jourdain’s daughter Lucile

Women received an increasingly more active role compared to the women in Molière’s play. An example of this can be seen in the very first scene of the play. While Jourdain often treated his wife poorly, the opposite can be seen here. With the opening scene, Figaro’s future wife, Suzanne warns him of Almaviva’s attempt to steal Suzanne. While Figaro is a little hesitant at first, he ultimately sides with her and they agree to formulate a plan to trap him. This first scene already illustrates the difference between how women are treated. Figaro does not instantly brush her off, but rather he listens to what she has to say. Not only that, but Figaro displays great affection for Suzanne, not like the disrespect Jourdain had for his wife. Furthermore, plenty of the scheming that occurs is done by the Suzanne and the Countess. On top of that, they were scheming against Almaviva—who is and male and of nobility. Beaumarchais’s representation of women is stronger than Moliere’s. Suzanne and the Countess are both strong characters that display they are more than capable of handling a situation. Equally important is Marceline’s speech to her son in act three, scene sixteen. She sheds light on cruel nature that women are confined to, and the treatment they receive from men, no matter the rank. This is a dialogue that would be