The Middle-Class Gentleman

"The Middle-Class Gentleman" by Molière is a five-act comédie-ballet first performed in 1670 before the court of Louis XIV. The play satirizes social climbing through Monsieur Jourdain, a middle-aged merchant's son desperately trying to become an aristocrat. He hires teachers in fencing, dancing, and philosophy, making a fool of himself at every turn. When he refuses to let his daughter marry her middle-class beloved, insisting on a nobleman instead, a clever scheme unfolds involving an elaborate Turkish disguise that plays perfectly to his absurd ambitions. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Translated by Philip Dwight Jones. Reading ease score: 84.8 (6th grade). Easy to read. Originally issued 2001-12-01. Transcribed by Produced by Philip Dwight Jones, and David Widger. This work is in the public domain in the United States. Sourced from Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2992).