sented in Moliere's plays corresponds to the actual practices of French society in the seventeenth century. In Le Misanthrope, Moliere painted the picture of a society where members of high society ingratiate themselves with influential people, such as court officials and aristocrats close to the King. For example, Philinte asks Alceste if he has "[called] on the any of the judges" (29; Act 1) about his lawsuit. In addition, Celimene justifies her behavior of allowing all men to visit her because "[the] goodwill of such people is importantà the privilege of making their opinions heard in court circlesà Though they can do you no good they may do you harm" (40; Act 2). In Le Tartuffe, Tartuffe's influence in the King's Court allows him to endanger Orgon's life by denouncing him to the King (5.7.1835-39).
Descending down the social hierarchy, in Le Bourgeois Gentleman, M. Jourdain's aspiration to become a gentleman derives its context from reality where the middle class suffered from a lack of prestige in the seventeenth-century French society (Benichou 63). Dorante, the penniless aristocrat, is able to manipulate M. Jourdain into lending him more money by promising to "render [his] service at Court" (147; 3.6).
Apart from portraying the social hierarchy realistically, Moliere's image of the family also resonates with emotion and realism. In Le Tartuffe, especially in the scenes following the revelation of Tartuffe's treachery, Orgon's family comes together in the fight against Tartuffe's plots, displaying the strong kinship of the family unit (5.5; 5.7). Another aspect of the family structure illustrated in Le Tartuffe is the paternalistic system. In Moliere's time, the father was the ultimate decision-maker in deciding his children's marriage. Mariane, Orgon's daughter, is expected to obey her father's every wish. The paternalistic system is also illustrated in The Bourgeois Gentleman. Although they ridicule M. Jourdain, none of...