Les Femmes Savantes facts for kids
Les Femmes savantes (which means The Learned Ladies) is a funny play, called a comedy, written by Molière. It's written in verse, which means it has a poetic rhythm. This play makes fun of people who pretend to be very smart or educated, especially women who were overly focused on academic show-off rather than true learning. It also gently pokes fun at the idea of female education in a way that was common back then.
The play was very popular and was one of Molière's last great plays written in verse. It first opened in Paris on March 11, 1672. One of the characters, Trissotin, is a funny copy of a real person named Charles Cotin. Cotin was a writer who Molière and his friend Nicolas Boileau thought was a bit of a know-it-all and not a very good writer.
Contents
What's the Play About?
The story is about two young people, Henriette and Clitandre, who are in love and want to get married. But they face a big problem: Henriette's family.
Her dad, Chrysale, and her uncle, Ariste, think it's a great idea for them to marry. The problem is Henriette's mom, Philaminte. She's the one who really runs the house, and her husband often does what she says.
Philaminte, along with Henriette's aunt Belise and sister Armande, wants Henriette to marry someone else. They want her to marry Trissotin. He's a "scholar" and a poet who thinks he's amazing, but he's actually not very good. These three women are completely charmed by him.
Why? Because Philaminte, Belise, and Armande are "learned ladies." They are obsessed with learning and culture, but in a very show-off way. Trissotin is their special friend and the star of their literary meetings.
The Story Unfolds
The play is divided into five parts, called acts. Here's what happens in each part:
Act 1: Love and Misunderstandings
Henriette tells her sister Armande that she wants to marry Clitandre. Armande gets upset. She thinks Clitandre is still in love with her, even though she turned him down because she wanted to focus on her studies.
Clitandre arrives and makes it clear he loves Henriette, not Armande. Armande leaves, feeling bitter. Henriette tells Clitandre he needs to get her mother Philaminte's approval, as she controls everything. Clitandre knows he needs to flatter Philaminte, but he finds her "studies" silly.
Later, Clitandre tries to talk to Henriette's aunt Belise about marrying Henriette. But Belise imagines that Clitandre is secretly telling her (Belise) that he loves her! She completely ignores what he's actually trying to say.
Act 2: Family Drama and Bad Grammar
Henriette's uncle Ariste promises Clitandre he will help. Ariste talks to Chrysale, Henriette's father, about the marriage. But Belise interrupts, still thinking Clitandre loves her. Ariste makes fun of her, and she leaves.
Chrysale agrees to the marriage. He says he makes the decisions in his house. But soon, the family servant, Martine, runs in. She says Philaminte is sending her away. Philaminte and Belise explain why: Martine used bad grammar! They say bad grammar is worse than stealing.
Chrysale tells his wife she's ignoring common sense and household duties because of her studies and Trissotin. When Chrysale tries to talk about Henriette's marriage, Philaminte stops him. She announces that Henriette will marry Trissotin! Chrysale is too weak to argue. When Ariste returns, Chrysale admits he's weak but promises to stand up to his wife.
Act 3: Poetry and Arguments
The learned ladies are at their literary meeting, listening to Trissotin. Henriette walks in, and Philaminte makes her stay and listen to Trissotin read his poems. The poems Trissotin reads are actually by a real person, Charles Cotin, and they are not very good. But Philaminte, Belise, and Armande praise them greatly, showing how silly they are.
Another scholar, Vadius, arrives. The ladies are thrilled when they learn he knows ancient Greek. They even line up to kiss him "for the love of Greek." Trissotin and Vadius compliment each other a lot. But then they get into a big fight when Vadius criticizes a poem that was secretly written by Trissotin.
Philaminte tells Henriette why she made her stay: she wants Henriette to marry Trissotin. Armande congratulates Henriette and reminds her to obey their mother. Then Chrysale arrives and orders that Henriette marry Clitandre. Henriette is happy, but the learned ladies are not!
Act 4: More Arguments and a Trick
Armande complains loudly about Clitandre. Clitandre asks why she hates him. She says he betrayed her by falling in love with Henriette instead of loving her (Armande) in a friendly way. Philaminte repeats that Henriette will marry Trissotin.
Trissotin arrives and argues with Clitandre about how important scholarship is. Then, a letter arrives from Vadius, who is still angry. He tells Philaminte that Trissotin is only interested in her money. But Philaminte doesn't believe it. She calls a notary to arrange the wedding right away. Chrysale hears about this and decides to find his own notary to stop her plans.
Act 5: The Truth Comes Out
Henriette meets Trissotin alone and begs him not to marry her. But he says he is deeply in love. Chrysale arrives with Martine, saying he is the boss of the house and demands to be obeyed.
Philaminte and the learned ladies then arrive with a notary. When the notary asks who the groom is, Philaminte and Chrysale each name a different man. Martine supports Chrysale's choice.
Suddenly, Ariste runs in with shocking news! He says a lawsuit has ruined the family financially. When Trissotin hears this, he tries to get out of the marriage. He then admits he was only interested in Henriette for her money, which makes Philaminte furious. Ariste then reveals that his story was a trick to show Trissotin's true intentions. The play ends with Clitandre and Henriette getting married.
See also
In Spanish: Las mujeres sabias para niños
