Marivaux's Theatre and Lies as the Significant Knots of his Plot: Les Fausses Confidences

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to make a brief presentation of the characteristics of Marivaux’s drama in general and to display a reflection of them on Les Fausses Confidences, in particular. The first part exposes his ideological, utopian, educational and psychological plays as well as the means he used to construct them, such as lies, disguises etc. The second part handles Les Fausses Confidences as a typical example to show these characteristics. The action, being one of the best among his plays, is constructed on lies of a servant, a peculiar character symbolizing the rising middle-class. His master is a traditional lover without a strong personality and the widow he loved is a reasonable, solid and sensible middle-class woman. These three characters constitute the play’s main protagonists. With the detailed analysis that the playwright has made on feelings, characters and situations, the play reflects perfectly well the mentality and the psychology of the Enlightenment : Intelligence, honesty and education are not enough to access power, the middle-class people must also be skillful and courageous to that end.