Harriet J. Bauman
Rich in culture, literature, and the arts, France’s Seventeenth Century remains vibrantly alive today in its records. During this time, Corneille, Racine, MoliEre, La Fontaine, Pascal and Descartes were writing; Poussin, Le Vau and Le Brun were painting; and Mansard was building Versailles.
One literary work in particular lends itself to a study of this century.
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
(
The WouldBe Gentleman
) by MoliEre forms the basis of this unit focusing on the “rise” of the bourgeoisie and the “fall” of the nobility, which started in the early 1600’s and ended in the late 1700’s with the French Revolution. As social class distinctions began to change, these changes were reflected in literature and art. The rise of the bourgeoisie, buttressed by the manipulations of Louis XIV, had a political and social impact on the times. “As the bourgeoisie developed, and especially as it tried to buttress its improving economic status with political gains, class distinctions became the explicit subject of ideological, literary, legal, and social debates. Economic factors, and more or less deliberate government policies, contributed significantly to changes in both facts and perceptions about the social classes.” (“The Issues of Nobility and Identity in
Dom Juan
and
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
”, Larry W. Riggs
The French Review
Vol. LIX No. 3, Feb., 1986, p. 399) A basic grasp of this movement is essential to understanding the themes of
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
.
The bourgeoisie came about because of economic changes. Prices increased steadily during the Sixteenth Century, which lowered the value of land (the basis of the noble’s wealth) and encouraged commerce (the basis of bourgeois wealth). There was great movement between classes, particularly the bourgeoisie (those of the “bourg” or town) toward the nobility. This nobility depended on commercial wealth; a connection which made the nobles uneasy. The feudal nobility no longer had sole power over their lives and those of the other classes. Louis XIV, like many kings before him, wanted to exercise total control over the nobles.
The upward movement of the bourgeoisie helped Louis in his efforts, for he could use them to weaken the power, especially economic, of the nobles. In playing off both, he controlled both. Of the time, Riggs says:
Throughout the century, the monarchy and the bourgeoisie continued to assert themselves at the nobility’s expense, and the ennoblement of commoners continued to blur the border between the classes. Also, the gradual ‘domestication’ of the nobles—reflected by the substitution of
honnFteté
(honesty, nobility) for
prouesse
(power, ability)—required adjustments in noble ethics. Of particular importance was the increasing weight of actual behavior in
present
,
social
circumstances in determining and legitimating status, for this eliminated both the past and the field of battle as exclusive guarantors of rights and privileges, and thus tended to equalize nobles and commoners in the competition for the King’s favor. Louis XIV’s refusal to allow power and social prestige to coincide in the same individual made the nobles particularly jealous of their remaining prestige. (Ibid. Riggs, pp.399400)
The bourgeoisie’s increasing power and prestige at the Court of Louis XIV continued to frustrate the nobles’ attempts to maintain the status quo. Louis XIV used the confusion to his advantage in solidifying his absolute power as a Divine Monarch.
It was very easy to buy nobility in the Seventeenth Century. One could imitate noble behavior, dress, and customs, and be accepted in society. As the bourgeoisie bought its way to power, it grew in strength. Yet, the King’s favor was a most important factor in any upward movement. His manipulations between the two classes served primarily to destroy the nobility. Thus he preserved his own power.
The ambiguities, conflicts, and manipulations of this time found their way into art. An astute observer of men, MoliEre developed the ambivalences into an art form through his plots. Life was a ceremony composed of rites, status symbols, and style in combat always with money and royal favor. The theatricality of life at Court gave MoliEre much to ponder. Riggs says: “The very theatricality—the vagueness and changeabilityof social class in the 1660’s made comic theater the ideal medium for exploring the questions of class, identity, and ethics.” (Ibid. Riggs, p. 400) MoliEre’s comedies exploited and explored the values of French society. His unique view brought French theatre into its own.
In order to explore more fully the idea of life as theatre in Seventeenth Century France, this ten week unit will study the many levels of MoliEre’s
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
. The unit can be used in an advanced French class (Levels III, IV or V). The play can be studied in conjunction with a world literature class, a world history class, an art or music and a theatre class. Seventeenth Century France will be studied as an integral part of the civilization of man.
The objectives which form the basis of this unit are:
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1.
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To understand the class conflicts of the period.
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2.
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To understand the daily life of the nobility and the bourgeoisie, especially as they differed.
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3.
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To learn about life at the Court of Louis XIV, with its emphasis on appearance, etc.
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4.
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To study
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
as a literary form.
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5.
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To study
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
as MoliEre’s view of Seventeenth Century French Society.
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These objectives are tied to a thorough study of
Le Bourgeois
Gentilhomme
. The students will be introduced to the Seventeenth Century through a short passage in French about the reign of Louis XIV from
Un Coup d’Oeil sur la France
by Claudine Coulanges and Flake Daniel (see Student Reading List). They will read the selection orally and discuss it. Then they will write answers to the questions following the selection. The students will be encouraged to question different facets of the century and then to research these points on their own for further class discussion.
The students will also be introduced to MoliEre through another short passage in the textbook
Promenades et Perspectives
published by Scott Foresman and Company (see Student Reading List). They will read the passage aloud and answer questions based on their reading.
Once the students have an understanding of the history of the times and the playwright’s background, they will see a videotape of the play performed by actors at the Comédie Francaise in Paris, France. It is in French with English subtitles. (see Teachers Reading List) At the end of the presentation, the students will discuss the plot and its significance to the historical, social forces of the period.
