Molière during his lifetime lifted comedy, previously confined to farce, to the pitch of great art, and set standards by which in the western world it has been judged ever since. Today his plays remain for us as sparklingly shrewd commentaries on human life. Of the plays in this volume, three, 'The miser', 'The would-be gentleman' and 'Don Juan' are major works. The other two are examples of Molière's delight in pure entertainment. The vigour and felicity of the originals are admirably retained in this translation by John Wood.
