Much of the humor in Molière’s comedy derives from the contrasting personalities of the two brothers, Sganarelle and Ariste, which extends to their attitudes toward marriage and relationships with their respective fiancées, Isabella and Léonor. In Molière’s contrived plot, the will of the two sisters’ deceased father has consigned them to be first the brothers’ wards and then their wives. There is a loophole, however, in that the men may refuse to marry them, but if so, they must find them suitable husbands.

Ariste, the older brother, is the more liberal in his attitude toward marriage; Léonor’s love actually matters to him, and he is determined to trust and care for her. Sganarelle, in contrast, is determined to keep the wealthy young woman for himself, even if means shutting her up in the house and making her look as unattractive as possible—all to keep her from cheating on him or meeting any other potential suitors. Sganarelle tells his brother:

You let your ward go about gaily and stylishly; I am content. You let her have footmen and a maid; I agree. You let her gad about, love idleness, be freely courted by dandies; I am quite satisfied. But I intend that mine shall live according to my fancy, and not according to her own; that she shall be dressed in honest serge, and wear only black on holidays; that, shut up in the house, prudent in bearing, she shall apply herself entirely to domestic concerns, mend my linen in her leisure hours, or else knit stockings for amusement; that she shall close her ears to the talk of young sparks, and never go out without someone to watch her.

Ariste in turn gives his differing opinion.

Their sex loves to enjoy a little freedom; they are but ill-checked by so much austerity. Suspicious precautions, bolts and bars, make neither wives nor maids virtuous. It is honour which must hold them to their duty, not the severity which we display towards them. To tell you candidly, a woman who is discreet by compulsion only is not often to be met with. We pretend in vain to govern all her actions; I find that it is the heart we must win.

Despite Sganarelle’s best efforts, another young man, Valère, sees and falls in love with Isabella. He schemes to get her away from her tyrannical guardian-fiancé. Valère manages to meet Sganarelle in the street and suggest that he should drop by and visit him at home. After Sganarelle departs, Valère tells his servant Ergaste that he is “in a rage”:

To see her I love in the power of a savage, a watchful dragon, whose severity will not permit her to enjoy a single moment of liberty.

Although Valère is sure that Isabella does not know he loves her, he has been following her around and she has learned his name, which she tells to Sganarelle. Infuriated, he demands that Valère leave her alone. Sganarelle insists that he stop “ogling” her and go fall in love with someone else. In this way, however, he manages to convey Isabelle’s interest, thus fueling the young man’s desire. Isabella then further tricks Sganarelle into delivering a love letter to Valère by saying it is a letter from him that she wishes to return unopened. Flattered into believing in her purity and concern for her reputation, Sganarelle takes him the letter. Hearing her declaration of love, both Ergaste and Valère are impressed.

ERGASTE. Well, sir, is not this contrivance original? For a young girl she is not so very ignorant. Would one have thought her capable...