Agnès de L'école des femmes de Molière entre naïveté et révolte. L'échec d'Arnolphe pour repenser l'éducation féminine = Agnès from Molière's L'école des femmes between naivety and revolt. Arnolphe's failure to rethink female education

Abstract

This study aims to demonstrate that this play is an appeal for female emancipation against the oppression of fathers or husbands, as well as against forced and arranged marriages. We will analyze the figure of Agnès in the hierarchical context of man/woman, husband/wife and teacher/student. Furthermore, by focusing on the double identity Arnolphe/LaSouche and on the dialectic "knowledge = power / ignorance = weakness", we intend to prove that Arnolphe's failure symbolizes the condemnation of all forms of deception and of all types of repressive and obscurantist principles. In light of this, our goal will be to bring out that, by means of this comedy, Molière invites us to rethink the educational principles tout court for men and women.