Line #12 Theatre/DonJuan


1	''Don Juan, or The Feast with the Statue'' (''Dom Juan, ou le Festin de pierre'' in French) is a comedic play by Creator/{{Moliere}} which takes its influence from the legend of Literature/DonJuan. Molière's Don Juan begins the play by breaking the heart of Dona Elvira, who he pressured into leaving her convent to marry him just a few months earlier. Don Juan has a habit of letting his heart go where it pleases, and his latest fancy is a peasant girl. Or rather, two peasant girls. He drags his valet, Sganarelle, along with him as he works to win both their hearts at once. Unfortunately for him, the fact that he has insulted the chaste Elvira's honor has driven her brothers after him -- and his wanton loving leads ghosts to warn him of the fate of his mortal soul.
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3	''Don Juan'' is, characteristic of Molière, an attack on hypocrisy, infidelity, and, at one point, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking doctors.]] All that, and it's funny, too!
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6	!!''Don Juan'' provides examples of:
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8	* AdaptationalNiceGuy: The tale of Don Juan originated in the Spanish theater, and an Italian version and two French versions had been performed in Paris by the time Molière created his own. In the previous versions Don Juan is far more evil, striking his father (the subtitle of one of the the French plays is ''The Criminal Son''), and committing rapes and murders.
9	* BerserkButton: Moralizers, for Don Juan.
10	* ByronicHero: Don Juan. Ironically, he's actually ''more'' Byronic than Creator/LordByron's take on him.
11	* TheCasanova: Don Juan, natch.
12	* DirtyCoward: Sganarelle
13	* DraggedOffToHell: [[spoiler: Don Juan's ultimate fate.]]
14	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Don Juan rescues a man in the woods attacked by three highwaymen, purely because three to one is cowardly. He turns out to be [[spoiler: a brother of a woman he seduced, out for his blood.]]
15	* FlatEarthAtheist: Don Juan refuses to believe in the supernatural, even after a statue speaks to him.
16	** It's not so much disbelief as a refusal to repent.
17	-->'''Don Juan''' There is something in this that I don't quite understand; but come what may, it won't be said I'm capable of repentance.
18	* FunetikAksent: The peasants speak in an Île-de-France accent in the French version, and... [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent something uncultured]] in every translation.
19	* HannibalLecture: Don Juan's monologue about what is essentially adultery for fun and profit.
20	* {{Hypocrite}}: By the play's end, Don Juan eschews his brash lifestyle for a life of subtle dishonesty.
21	* OurSpiritsAreDifferent: The Statue and the Spectre come to tell Don Juan to repent, a la [[Literature/AChristmasCarol Ebenezer Scrooge]].
22	* PainfulRhyme: Frequently used and just as frequently [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] - it starts with pronouncing the protagonist's name as Joo-wan and goes from there.
23	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Sganarelle ''tries'' to give Don Juan one at several points throughout the play, but his cowardice gets the better of him until the very end of the play. Don Juan's father Don Louis, on the other hand, succeeds very well on the first try.
24	-->'''Don Louis:''' I would have more respect for the son of a street-porter who was an honest man, than for the son of an emperor who lived like you.
25	** -->'''Don Juan''' If you sat, sir, you'd be more comfortable for talking.
26	* Rippedfromtheheadlines: Don Juan trying to bribe the Poor Man to blaspheme. There had been a few cases in the years preceding the play, some ending in the tribunal. Blasphemy was, technically, a crime punishable with branding iron and being sent to the galleys at the time and Don Juan and Sganarelle make two witnesses…
27	* SeinfeldianConversation: The play begins with Sganarelle arguing to Gusman the benefits of snuff, before switching abruptly to the main plot.
28	* ServileSnarker: Typical of Molière, Sganarelle has his moments.
29	* TheConfidant: Sganarelle. That's precisely what Don Juan keeps him around for.

Context Theatre / DonJuan