About the work
The School for Wives is a five-act verse comedy by Molière, first performed on 26 December 1662 in Paris. It is regarded as Molière's first major masterpiece and a turning point from stock comic types toward psychologically rounded characters.
Plot
The middle-aged Arnolphe has raised the peasant girl Agnès in deliberate ignorance since childhood, intending to marry her himself and so guard against infidelity. His plan collapses when Agnès falls in love with the young Horace. In the end Agnès turns out to be the daughter of a friend, destined to marry Horace instead—much to Arnolphe's dismay.
Cultural significance
The premiere sparked a fierce public controversy over morality and dramatic form, to which Molière responded with "The Critique of the School for Wives". Despite the attacks, the play became a lasting stage success and remains one of the most performed works of French classical theatre.