From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Les Fourberies de Scapin
Les Fourberies de Scapin
Characters
Plot
Scapin constantly lies and tricks people to get ahead. He
is an arrogant, pompous man who acts as if nothing were
impossible for him. However, he is also a diplomatic ge-
nius. He manages to play the other characters off of each
other very easily, and yet manages to keep his overall
goal — to help the young couples — in sight.
In their fathers’ absence, Octave has secretly married
Hyacinthe and Léandre has secretly fallen in love with
Zerbinette. But the fathers return from a trip with mar-
riage plans for their respective sons. Scapin, after hear-
ing many pleas for help, comes to their rescue. Thanks
to many tricks and lies, Scapin manages to come up with
enough money from the parents to make sure that the
young couples get to stay married. But, no one knows
who Hyacinthe and Zerbinette really are. It ends in the
classic "And they lived happily ever after," and Scapin is
even brought to the head of the table at the ending feast
(even though he has to fake a fatal wound to make it hap-
pen).
Quotes
"À vous dire la vérité, il y a peu de choses qui me soient
impossibles, quand je veux m’y mêler."
Scapin, Act 1, Scene 2
"To tell you the truth, there are few things that I find im-
possible, when I want to do them."
"Il vaut mieux encore d’être marié que mort."
Scapin, Act 1, Scene 4
"It’s better to be married than to be dead."
Front page of Les Fourberies de Scapin "Mais que diable est-il allé faire dans cette galère?"
Géronte, Act 2, Scene 7
Les Fourberies de Scapin (literally, "Scapin’s Deceits") is a "What the devil was he doing in that galley?"
three-act comedy by French playwright Molière. The ti- (This line prompted a new word in French: "galère" now
tle character Scapin is similar to the archetypical Scapino also has the meaning "a cumbersome, painful busi-
character. The play was first staged in 1671 in Paris. ness.")[4]
The original play is in French but, like many of
Molière’s plays, it has been translated into many differ-
ent languages. Adaptations in English include Scapino! by
See also
Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale,[1] which has also been fur- • Scapino
ther adapted by Noyce Burleson.[2] Bill Irwin and Mark
O’Donnell have also adapted the play, as Scapin.[3] Despite
a few alterations and modernization of language, the play
Notes
still retains much of its original structure. [1] Scapino!
[2] Scapino! adaptation by Noyce
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Les Fourberies de Scapin
[3] Scapin, adapted by Bill Irwin and Mark O’Donnell • Comédie Française - Histoire de la Comédie Française
[4] Galère – Learn a French word a day • Les Fourberies de Scapin
In English:
Bibliography • Scapin, adapted by Bill Irwin and Mark O’Donnell
In French:
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Les_Fourberies_de_Scapin&oldid=456982194"
Categories:
• Plays by Molière
• 1671 plays
• French plays
• Comedy plays
• Satirical plays
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