THE DON JUAN LEGEND
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MOLIÈRE
In the legend, Don Juan seduced a young woman of noble
family, and killed her father. Later, he encountered a statue
of her father in a cemetery and impiously invited it home to
dine with him, an invitation the statue gladly accepted. The
ghost of the father arrived for dinner, as the harbinger of
Don Juan's death. The statue asked to shake Don Juan's
hand, and when he extended his arm, the statue dragged
him away to Hell.
Work Based on the Legend of Don Juan
Most authorities agree that the first recorded tale of Don
Juan is El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra (The
Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest) by Tirso de Molina,
published around 1620. Don Juan is an unrepentant
womanizer who seduces women either by disguising himself
as their lovers or by promising marriage. He leaves a trail of
broken hearts, angry husbands, and outraged fathers; finally
slaying a certain Don Gonzálo. Later, when invited to supper
in the cathedral by Don Gonzálo's ghost, he accepts, not
wanting to appear the coward.
Many versions of the legend have been told through the
years, including José Zorilla's (1817-1893) nineteenth
century play Don Juan Tenorio (1844); Aleksander Blok's
poetic depiction; the novella La Gitanilla (The Little
Gypsy Girl) by Miguel de Cervantes de Saavedra; the 1736
play titled Don Juan (Don Giovanni Tenorio, ossia Il
Dissoluto) written by Carlo Goldoni, a famous Italian comic
playwright of the time; Don Juan Triumphant, the opera
written by the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera; the song
Red and Black Grantaire in the musical Les Misérables which
compares Marius to Don Juan; Lord Byron’s epic version of
Don Juan that is considered his masterpiece and portrays
Don Juan as the innocent victim of a repressive Catholic
upbringing who unwittingly stumbles upon and into love time
and again; Albert Camus’ representation of Don Juan as an
archetypical absurd man in the 1942 essay The Myth of
Sisyphus; the Ibong Adarna in Philippine literature in which
Don Juan is the protagonist, portrayed in a good light but
known to have a weakness for beautiful women and to tend
to womanizing; George Bernard Shaw's play Man and
Superman; the opera Don Giovanni with music by Mozart;
and numerous others.
family, and killed her father. Later, he encountered a statue
of her father in a cemetery and impiously invited it home to
dine with him, an invitation the statue gladly accepted. The
ghost of the father arrived for dinner, as the harbinger of
Don Juan's death. The statue asked to shake Don Juan's
hand, and when he extended his arm, the statue dragged
him away to Hell.
Work Based on the Legend of Don Juan
Most authorities agree that the first recorded tale of Don
Juan is El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra (The
Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest) by Tirso de Molina,
published around 1620. Don Juan is an unrepentant
womanizer who seduces women either by disguising himself
as their lovers or by promising marriage. He leaves a trail of
broken hearts, angry husbands, and outraged fathers; finally
slaying a certain Don Gonzálo. Later, when invited to supper
in the cathedral by Don Gonzálo's ghost, he accepts, not
wanting to appear the coward.
Many versions of the legend have been told through the
years, including José Zorilla's (1817-1893) nineteenth
century play Don Juan Tenorio (1844); Aleksander Blok's
poetic depiction; the novella La Gitanilla (The Little
Gypsy Girl) by Miguel de Cervantes de Saavedra; the 1736
play titled Don Juan (Don Giovanni Tenorio, ossia Il
Dissoluto) written by Carlo Goldoni, a famous Italian comic
playwright of the time; Don Juan Triumphant, the opera
written by the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera; the song
Red and Black Grantaire in the musical Les Misérables which
compares Marius to Don Juan; Lord Byron’s epic version of
Don Juan that is considered his masterpiece and portrays
Don Juan as the innocent victim of a repressive Catholic
upbringing who unwittingly stumbles upon and into love time
and again; Albert Camus’ representation of Don Juan as an
archetypical absurd man in the 1942 essay The Myth of
Sisyphus; the Ibong Adarna in Philippine literature in which
Don Juan is the protagonist, portrayed in a good light but
known to have a weakness for beautiful women and to tend
to womanizing; George Bernard Shaw's play Man and
Superman; the opera Don Giovanni with music by Mozart;
and numerous others.
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by
his stage name, Molière
(1622-1673) was a French
playwright, actor and director who
is considered one of the greatest
masters of comedy in Western
literature. From a prosperous
family, Molière left with a good
education to begin a life in the
theatre. After many years of
performing, he received the
adulation of the court and
Parisians, though his satires
attracted criticisms from moralists
and the Church. Molière's
best-known plays include Le
Misanthrope, (The Misanthrope),
L'École des femmes (The School
for Wives), Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur,
(Tartuffe), L'Avare ou l'École du
mensonge (The Miser), and Le
Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The
Bourgeois Gentleman).
his stage name, Molière
(1622-1673) was a French
playwright, actor and director who
is considered one of the greatest
masters of comedy in Western
literature. From a prosperous
family, Molière left with a good
education to begin a life in the
theatre. After many years of
performing, he received the
adulation of the court and
Parisians, though his satires
attracted criticisms from moralists
and the Church. Molière's
best-known plays include Le
Misanthrope, (The Misanthrope),
L'École des femmes (The School
for Wives), Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur,
(Tartuffe), L'Avare ou l'École du
mensonge (The Miser), and Le
Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The
Bourgeois Gentleman).
MOLIÈRE'S DON JUAN
Don Juan is the last part in
Molière's hypocrisy trilogy, which
also includes The School for Wives
and Tartuffe. It was first performed
on February 15, 1665, in the
Palais-Royal. The play was
withdrawn after 15 performances
after attacks by Molière's critics,
who believed he was offending
religion and the king by eulogizing
a libertine. It was revived only in
1687, after Molière's death, in a
softened version and not produced
again in its original, uncensored
version until 1884.
Molière's hypocrisy trilogy, which
also includes The School for Wives
and Tartuffe. It was first performed
on February 15, 1665, in the
Palais-Royal. The play was
withdrawn after 15 performances
after attacks by Molière's critics,
who believed he was offending
religion and the king by eulogizing
a libertine. It was revived only in
1687, after Molière's death, in a
softened version and not produced
again in its original, uncensored
version until 1884.
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