The School for Wives

The School for Wives is a French comedy from 1662 by playwright Molière. It satirizes the society's norms about marriage, gender roles, and naïveté. The story follows a man who plans to marry a young, naive woman he believes will be a loyal wife, and he sends a friend to observe her. However, the plan backfires as the wife proves cleverer than expected, challenging societal expectations of women’s obedience. The play humorously explores themes of trust, deception, and the power dynamics within marriage, highlighting human folly and societal pretensions through witty dialogue and humorous situations.