2022 was the 400th anniversary of the birth of Molière, a playwright as important in French literature as Shakespeare is in English. There were celebrations of Molière’s plays throughout 2022 in France, especially at the Comédie Française, which he founded. Victor Hugo called Molière a man of genius. Molière said, “the duty of comedy is to correct men by amusing them.”
This course will be an exploration of Molière, his life and his plays, in particular Tartuffe, The Imaginary Invalid, and Don Juan. The class will be lecture and discussion, with about one hour of preparation each week. Knowledge of French is not necessary!