Comedy plays; France -- Social life and customs -- 17th century -- Drama; French drama; Middle class -- France -- Drama
NICOLE: Have mercy, sir! I beg you to let me laugh. He, he, he!
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: If I catch you...
NICOLE: Sir! I shall burst... Oh! if I don't laugh. He, he, he!
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: But did anyone ever see such a hussy as that,
who laughs in my face instead of receiving my, orders?
NICOLE: What would you have me do, sir?
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: That you consider getting my house ready for the
company that's coming soon, you hussy.
NICOLE: Ah, by my faith, I don't feel like laughing any more. All
your guests make such a disorder here that the word "company" is
enough to put me in a bad humor.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: Why, should I shut my door to everyone for your
sake?
NICOLE: You should at least shut it to some people.
ACT THREE
SCENE III (Madame Jourdain, Monsieur Jourdain, Nicole, Lackeys)
MADAME JOURDAIN: Ah, ah! Here's a new story! What's this, what's
this, husband, this outfit you have on there? Don't you care what
people think of you when you are got up like that? And do you want
yourself laughed at everywhere?
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: None but fools and dolts will laugh at me wife.
MADAME JOURDAIN: Truly, they haven't waited until now, your antics
have long given a laugh to everyone.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: Who's everyone, if you please?
MADAME JOURDAIN: Everyone is everyone who is right and who is wiser
than you. For my part, I am scandalized at the life you lead. I no
longer recognize our house. One would say it's the beginning of
Carnival here, every day; and beginning early in the morning, so it
won't be forgotten, one hears nothing but the racket of fiddles and
singers which disturbs the whole neighborhood.
NICOLE: Madame speaks well. I'll never be able to get my housework
done properly with that gang you have come here. They have feet
that hunt for mud in every part of town to bring it here; and poor
Franoise almost has her teeth on the floor, scrubbing the boards
that your fine masters come to dirty up every day.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: What, our servant Nicole, you have quite a
tongue for a peasant.
MADAME JOURDAIN: Nicole is right, and she has more sense than you.
I'd like to know what you think you're going to do with a Dancing
Master, at your age?
NICOLE: And with a hulking Fencing Master who comes stamping his
feet, shaking the whole house and tearing up all the floorboards in
our drawing-room.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: Be quiet, both servant and wife!
MADAME JOURDAIN: Is it that you're learning to dance for the time
when you'll have no legs to dance on?
NICOLE: Do you want to kill someone?
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: Quiet, I tell you! You are ignorant women, both
of you, and you don't know the advantages of all this.
MADAME JOURDAIN: You should instead be thinking of marrying off
your daughter, who is of an age to be provided for.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: I'll think of marrying off my daughter when a
suitable match comes along, but I also want to learn about fine
things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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