rival
the contestant you hope to defeat
Jean Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his stage name of Moliere,
stands without a
rival at the head of French comedy.
province
the territory in an administrative district of a nation
His life
was spent in Paris and in the
provinces, acting, directing
performances, managing theaters, and writing plays.
satire
witty language used to convey insults or scorn
He had his share
of applause from the king and from the public; but the
satire in his
comedies made him many enemies, and he was the object of the most
venomous attacks and the most impossible slanders.
venomous
extremely poisonous or injurious
He had his share
of applause from the king and from the public; but the satire in his
comedies made him many enemies, and he was the object of the most
venomous attacks and the most impossible slanders.
slander
words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another
He had his share
of applause from the king and from the public; but the satire in his
comedies made him many enemies, and he was the object of the most
venomous attacks and the most impossible
slanders.
solace
comfort offered to one who is disappointed or miserable
Nor did he find
much
solace at home; for he married unfortunately, and the unhappiness
that followed increased the bitterness that public hostility had
brought into his life.
misanthrope
someone who dislikes people in general
In the great plays that followed, "The School for Husbands"
and "The School for Wives," "The
Misanthrope" and "The Hypocrite"
hypocrite
a person who professes beliefs that he or she does not hold
In the great plays that followed, "The School for Husbands"
and "The School for Wives," "The Misanthrope" and "The
Hypocrite"
hypochondriac
a patient with imaginary symptoms and ailments
(Tartuffe), "The Miser" and "The
Hypochondriac," "The Learned Ladies,"
vice
a specific form of evildoing
"The Doctor in Spite of Himself," "The Citizen Turned Gentleman," and
many others, he exposed mercilessly one after another the
vices and
foibles of the day.
foible
a minor weakness or peculiarity in someone's character
"The Doctor in Spite of Himself," "The Citizen Turned Gentleman," and
many others, he exposed mercilessly one after another the vices and
foibles of the day.
pandemonium
a state of extreme confusion and disorder
Must have his say; it's perfect
pandemonium.
impertinent
improperly forward or bold
Too full of gab, and too
impertinent
plague
any large-scale calamity
Or give him anything but
plague and torment.
conduct
the way a person behaves toward other people
Daughter, by your leave, your
conduct
esteem
the condition of being honored
The lady's brother, I
esteem you highly,
entreat
ask for or request earnestly
I'd urgently
entreat you not to come
bigot
a prejudiced person who is intolerant of differing opinions
Shall I let a
bigot criticaster
usurp
seize and take control without authority
Come and
usurp a tyrant's power here?
deign
do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
Till this fine gentleman
deigns to consent?
maxim
a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits
If we must hark to him, and heed his
maxims,
censure
harsh criticism or disapproval
He
censures everything, this zealous carper.
zealous
marked by active interest and enthusiasm
He censures everything, this
zealous carper.
belie
be in contradiction with
I should
belie my feelings not to say so.
vagabond
a wanderer with no established residence or means of support
This
vagabond, who hadn't, when he came,
pious
having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity
If all were governed by his
pious orders.
grievous
causing or marked by grief or anguish
It would be a
grievous thing
gall
a digestive juice secreted by the liver
And leave the gossips free to vent their
gall.
argument
a dispute where there is strong disagreement
These
arguments are nothing to the purpose.
austerity
self-denial, especially refraining from worldly pleasures
She lives the model of
austerity;
piety
righteousness by virtue of being religiously devout
But age has brought this
piety upon her,
specious
plausible but false
And in the
specious veil of haughty virtue
haughty
having or showing arrogant superiority
And in the specious veil of
haughty virtue
carp
any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae
Must
carp at everything, and pardon nothing.
pardon
accept an excuse for
Must carp at everything, and
pardon nothing.
rigmarole
a long and complicated and confusing procedure
That's the kind of
rigmarole to please you,
repent
feel sorry for; be contrite about
In your great need, to make you all
repent;
agape
with the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe
What makes you dream and stand
agape,
recompense
make payment to
Monsieur has his own kind of
recompense,/And it's his zeal on your behalf, I guess,/That leads him to dishonor you, no less. -Moliere, Tartuffe, Act III scene 5, lines 1058-1059
reprobate
a person without moral scruples
Dear son, go on; tell me my crimes are great; /Call me thief, killer, traitor,
reprobate; Load me with epithets still more abhorred: /I won't say no; they are my just reward.-Moliere, Tartuffe, Act III scene 6, lines 1101-1104