About the work
La Fausse Suivante (The False Servant) is a three-act comedy by Pierre de Marivaux. It premiered on 8 July 1724 at the Théâtre de l'Hôtel de Bourgogne, performed by the Comédiens italiens, shortly after Marivaux had lost his fortune in the collapse of John Law's Mississippi Company; it was not published until 1729.
Plot
A wealthy Parisian woman disguises herself as a Chevalier and later even poses as that Chevalier's own maidservant, in order to test the calculating Lélio, to whom she is promised in marriage. Unaware of her real identity, Lélio confides in the supposed Chevalier and even asks for help seducing a rich Countess, since he wants to escape his engagement to the Parisian woman, believing the disguised stranger to be the wealthier match. Once the deception unravels, the heroine exposes Lélio's mercenary scheming and refuses the marriage altogether.
Cultural significance
La Fausse Suivante remains part of the Comédie-Française's repertoire and was filmed in 2000 by Benoît Jacquot with Isabelle Huppert in the lead. This early play already shows Marivaux's interest in disguise and mistaken identity as a way of examining money, power and sincerity in love.