Don Juan (Molière)

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Data
Title: Don juan
Original title: Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre
Genus: comedy
Original language: French
Author: Molière
Publishing year: 1682 (in oeuvres)
Premiere: February 15, 1665
Place of premiere: Palais Royal, Paris
Place and time of the action: Sicile
people
  • Dom Juan , fils de Dom Louis.
  • Sganarelle , valet de Dom Juan.
  • Elvire , femme de Dom Juan.
  • Gusman , écuyer d'Elvire.
  • Dom Carlos , frère d'Elvire.
  • Dom Alonse , frère d'Elvire.
  • Dom Louis , père de Dom Juan.
  • Francisque , pauvre.
  • Charlotte , Mathurine, paysannes.
  • Pierrot , paysan.
  • La statue du Commandeur.
  • La Violette , Ragotin, laquais de Dom Juan.
  • M. Dimanche , marchand.
  • La Ramée , spadassin.
  • Suite de Dom Juan.
  • Suite de Dom Carlos et de Dom Alonse, frères.
  • Un specter.

Don Juan (original title: Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre ) is a comedy in five acts by the French poet Molière (1622–1673). The first performance took place on February 15, 1665 in the Théâtre du Palais-Royal . The title of the piece is written in the French original with an "m" ( Dom Juan ); "Don" with an "n" is a Spanish honorary title.

action

Don Juan, a busy young nobleman and blasphemer with a dissolute lifestyle, lives with his loyal servant Sganarelle in Sicily , where he makes numerous love conquests and seduces young nobles just as successfully as simple maids . He is only interested in conquering young hearts, which after getting hold of them he turns his back just as quickly, even if he has had to marry the object of his desire. Only Donna Elvira, whom he kidnaps from a monastery in order to marry her, is presented as a particularly tough nut . After he has dropped her too , her two brothers turn up in Sicily to avenge their family's offense . In dealing with his own relatives, Don Juan shows himself to be smug to condescending, especially when he encounters the pious Christian way of life of his father Don Luis with cynicism . Don Juan's conquests bring him numerous enmities and many duels , from which he always emerges steadfast. He loves challenges, up to this of his last: the meal with the statue of the commander , whom don Juan had previously killed and who will now take him to the fire of hell .

Molière's works, 1734

Character traits of Don Juan

Don Juan, the immoderate border crosser

One can see in Don Juan the archetype of excess, which defies all traditional norms and thus calls into question the valid values and ideals. As a young, handsome aristocrat , he showed an unimaginable cheek (for the time). He cleverly uses irony and sarcasm , booby and insult, disrespect and disrespect.

Don Juan transgresses both religious and social morals and values ​​of his time: he seduces women, does not respect the sacrament of marriage, he also casts a spell over already engaged (cf. the scene with Charlotte and Pierrot), and Donna Elvira becomes kidnapped by him from a monastery. During large passages of the play he is on the run from offended women and their families. He also vehemently opposes the forms of behavior that he was born with because of his aristocratic origins and that his father (Don Luis) wants to bring closer to him.

Don Juan, the dissident

Don Juan is a free spirit who does not want to be restricted by the rules of religion . His “ creed ” is limited to the fact that “two and two are four” ( deux et deux sont quatre ), and he is not unfaithful even in death. Because of this view, he remains a social outsider to the end .

Pragmatism and exploration are the hallmarks of Don Juan, who is ready to put himself into new, difficult to assess situations and to master the problems that arise there.

In the scene with the beggar (3rd act, 2nd scene) don Juan tries unsuccessfully to seduce the pious beggar into cursing. Finally, in the face of the apparently nonexistent divine help, he gives him an alms out of " love for humanity ".

Molière , author of Dom Juan ou
le Festin de Pierre

The end of Don Juan

In the penultimate scene (5th act, 5th scene) a ghost appears in which Sganarell sees a sign from heaven: O Lord, it is heaven that speaks to you - it gives you a sign. Despite the ghost's invitation ( don Juan is only granted a moment to partake of heavenly mercy, and if he does not repent immediately, his doom is determined ), don Juan is cynical, mocking, presumptuous and self-confident, defiant, without any Fear and unyielding ( No, it is not to say that I am able to repent, do what will! ), In contrast to Sganarell.
In the last scene (5th act, 6th scene) both meet the statue of the commander who is holding don Juan up because of his promise to dine with him: Don Juan, persistence in sin leads to a horrific death. And whoever disdains the grace of heaven will be struck by lightning. At these words of the commander, the earth splits under thunder and lightning. Together with the Commander, Don Juan sinks into the flaming depths, after his last words: O Heaven! How will me An invisible fire is burning me. I can not anymore! My whole body becomes a flaming pyre! Oh!
What remains is the desperate Sganarelle, who sees himself alone as the unhappy and dissatisfied and complains miserably: My wages, my wages!

Edits