Molière et Jean de La Fontaine

Before you rest two giants of French literature. Jean de La Fontaine is one of the most famous and celebrated poets in the world, and his tale “The Fox and The Crow” is known in every corner of France. He passed away one evening in 1695 at the age of 73, but his words still walk among us. Due to his fragile health, he took regular breaks from writing, but he still published an impressive number of works. His excellent French writing shines through his fables. In his own words: “I use animals to teach people.” And he did. He used talking animals to reflect human behaviour and convey a moral.  His many tales, poems, epistles, and speeches placed him among the literary greats. He also published the equally prestigious, though less well-known, Tales and Novellas in Verse. Near the end of his life, his greatest dream came true, being elected to the Académie Française, the elite French council that governs the rules of the French language. And who lies just beside him? His dear friend—Molière, the voice of the French stage. The man who helped shape the language itself. If you’ve ever heard French being referred to as “la langue de Molière”, now you know why. In the 17th century, French was not as rich and fluid as it is today. Molière was inspired by languages such as Greek and Latin, and his unique writing style structured the French of today. He contributed many words to the language, such as “tartuffe”, which describes someone hypocritical. He blended formal and informal language, making his dialogue lively, often shocking his audience with unexpected twists in his plays. Many of his most iconic characters actually represent stereotypes of French society. Monsieur Jourdain from The Bourgeois Gentleman is the perfect example of a social satire. He mocks those wanting to climb the social ladder, while trying to use refined upper-class vocabulary, but doing so very clumsily. Every time Monsieur Jourdain appears on stage, the audience bursts into laughter, knowing that beyond the comedy, lies truth. With hilarious misunderstandings, over-the-top exaggerations, and clever wordplay, Molière’s monologues are still studied in French schools. These two geniuses strongly influenced French literature.