Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme

How does Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme critique 17th-century French society? Who is Molière mocking? What does the play lead you to believe about social structure during the period?

Molière was heavily influenced by the style of commedia dell’arte, a popular Italian comic form that employed very specific stock characters. Choose one character that you think is a recognizable type. Describe the character, using examples from the play. What characters from other works seem like they are based on the same stock character?

Imagine that you are going to produce Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme today. What current issues might you connect to the play? What changes might you make? Is there anything that seems particularly relevant? What seems out of date?