Characters
Last Updated September 5, 2023.
The Affected Young Ladies by Molière, also known as The Affected Ladies, is a one-act play about two young women who put on airs and are subsequently tricked because of this. The play opens with La Grange and Du Croisy, who have come as prospective suitors to the young women, discussing how to put the women in their place. The young ladies, cousins Magdelon and Cathos, are visiting Paris and have ideas about the type of women they are, and the kind of men they are looking for. They decide that La Grange and Du Croisy are not what they are seeking, and the men decide to get their revenge. They get their valets, The Marquis de Mascarille (played by Molière in the original production) and The Viscount Jodelet, to pretend to be the type of men the women want, and the two valet are happy to oblige. They put on a show of nonsense, making fools of the women before they are discovered by Gorgibus, Magedon’s father and Cathos’ uncle.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.