The School for Wives
- Arnolphe - rich citizens
- Agnès - his foster child
- Horace - her lover
- Alain - Servant
- Georgette - Servant
- Chrysalde - Arnolphes friend
- Enrique - Chrysaldes Schwager
- Oronte - father of Horace
- A notary public
The School for Wives ( Original title: L' école des femmes ) is a comedy of the French poet Molière in five acts. The first performance took place in 1662 in Paris.
In this piece, elements of farce with the classic Verskomödie be connected as an innovation for the first time. It was a huge success and led to ongoing discussions ( " La critique de l' école des femmes " ) recorded Molière in his one-act play The critique of the " School for Wives ", which was in 1663 listed in the same theater at which the year before " the School for Wives " had been played.
Rolf Liebermann's eponymous opera buffa ( libretto by Heinrich Strobel ) is based on Molière's comedy; the first performance took place in 1955 in Louisville / Kentucky United States, the European premiere in a revised version at the Salzburg Festival in 1957.
Action
Arnolphe, for so far the marriages and the deceived husbands were targets of ridicule wants to marry himself, now. As he explained to his friend Chrysalde, he has sought to exclude the risk of adultery as possible. His future was in fact entrusted to him by a peasant woman at the age of four years, he had them put on in the monastery, and now she is billeted in a cottage in the city to the visitors are not allowed and where particularly stupid Served exercise. Chrysalde remains skeptical and makes fun of the rest of that Arnolphe can call posh "Lord of calibration " for some time. A little later Arnolphe met the Horace, son of his old friend Oronte, whom he has not seen for many years. Horace tells us that he had fallen in love since his arrival a few days ago in a girl named Agnes, which is guarded by a nerd named " Eichmann ". Arnolphe suppressed his indignation and listens from his rival, without revealing his true identity. To thwart Horace plans Arnolphe exhorts the servants Alain and Georgette to be vigilant. Agnès tells him willingly naive of the kindnesses of the worshiper and even asks him to agree to a marriage with Horace. But Arnolphe thinks he already had someone else intended for them and sharpens her a dismiss Horace.
Arnolphe Agnès explains that he himself was the chosen one for them; However, he fails to beat its rivals from the field. For the proud Horace himself reads him a love letter, the Agnès had hidden under a rock. As Horace his supposed friend, the jealous Arnolphe entrusted, he could meet Agnès again; an appointment for the evening commemorates Arnolphe with the powerful help of Alain and Georgette to prevent.
Horace is after the beating that he has obtained from the nightly rendezvous, determined to kidnap Agnès, and asks Arnolphe, for protection against persecution and out of concern for their reputation a few days to take the abductees with him, whereupon this only to willingly admits.
After Horace has given him Agnès, he showered them first with allegations; as it shows itself not impressed by his declaration of love, Arnolphe leaves the girl by Alain dissipate again. Since Horace's father Oronte appears to marry his son to the daughter of a certain Enrique. The new misunderstandings cleared up, as it turns out, that these same Agnès daughter is Enriques, which was given as a child by her mother to a woman in the country.
So fall paternal wishes and plans of the children together; only Arnolphe gets nothing.