Charles a Duncombe

Moliere's Sganarelle (Or the Imaginary Cuckold): a New English Language Version Charles a Duncombe

Frederique Michel and Charles Duncombe continue their critically acclaimed series of classical French comedy with a sparkling new translation and adaptation of Moliere's farcical Sganarelle. One of Moliere's first works after his company had established itself in Paris, this wicked satire on fidelity and honor is a round-robin of mistaken suspicions and imaginary betrayals. Two couples - a doltish middle-class husband and his mistrustful wife, and a beautiful young girl and her handsome lover - mistakenly believe they have betrayed each other. The more they argue, scheme, plot, and attempt to revenge themselves, the more deeply they get entangled in their own delusions. And of course, when their fury and wounded vanity at last reaches a fever pitch, new complications make things even worse, as this misguided group does their very best to, in the end, fool no one but themselves. This early work firmly establishes themes that Moliere would pursue throughout his later plays: the falsity in human relationships, the duplicity inherent in marriage, and the hypocrisy of moral posturing.