About the work
Molière wrote "The School for Wives Criticized" in 1663 as a one-act comedy, roughly five months after his play "The School for Wives". It premiered on 1 June 1663 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris.
Plot
In Uranie's Parisian salon, several characters discuss Molière's "The School for Wives": the prudish Climène accuses the play of indecency, the learned Lysidas faults its violations of dramatic rules, and a vain marquis dismisses it without having seen it. Dorante, acting as Molière's mouthpiece, defends the comedy of character against academic rule-bound criticism and argues for the judgment of the audience.
Cultural significance
The play is Molière's immediate defence against the critics of "The School for Wives" and publicly ridicules his opponents. It in turn triggered the "Querelle de l'École des femmes", prompting further rebuttals including Boursault's "Le Portrait du peintre" and Molière's own response, "The Versailles Impromptu".