The Pretentious Young Ladies

"The Pretentious Young Ladies" by Molière is a comedic play written in the mid-17th century. This one-act comedy provides a satirical take on the affectations and pretentiousness prevalent in Parisian society, particularly among young women who aspire to higher social status and intellectual refinement. The era of the play is characterized by the cultural shifts of the French royal court, highlighting Molière’s departure from Italian theatrical traditions. The plot revolves around two young women, Madelon and Cathos, who are immersed in the pretentious behaviors that come with their pursuit of love and status. Their father, Gorgibus, hopes to arrange marriages for them with two suitors, La Grange and Du Croisy. Instead of valuing their sincere intentions, the young ladies disregard them for their lack of social grace and sophistication, exemplifying their misguided beliefs about romance and courtship. The comedy escalates as the suitors, frustrated by the ladies’ affectation, plot to deceive them by disguising themselves as men of higher status, only to have their identities revealed in humorous twists. As the characters navigate their foolish pretensions, Molière critiques the absurdity of social climbing and the superficiality of the so-called "gallant" behavior of the time.