Did you know that French people call their own language "la langue de Molière"? The most famous French playwright of all time, 17th-century Molière wrote about 30 comedies that are still taught and played all around the world. In "L'Avare" ("The Miser"), we follow the wealthy and incredibly greedy Harpagon as he tries to marry his daughter, all the while obsessed with protecting a casket full of gold. The excerpt takes place after that casket has gone missing, and "poor" Harpagon expresses his desperation in a hilariously grandiose monologue. Discover (literally) the intricacies of la langue de Molière in one of its most iconic monologues, with the help of our own bilingual transcript!
After watching the video, scroll down for the transcript in our bilingual reader, where you can click any French phrase for the English translation and related grammar lessons.
How this exercise works
- Choose your setup
Use the tick box above the text to turn translations and grammar tips on or off. When they're on, click on any phrase to see them. - Read the text
Work through the Interactive Reader at your own pace - Answer the questions
When you're ready, start the comprehension exercise
Answer in English: we're testing your understanding of the text, not your grammar or expression, so nothing you write here will be marked for accuracy. To get feedback on how you write, try one of our writing exercises.
Loading…
Coming soon
Comprehension questions for this reader haven’t been generated yet.
Couldn’t load the questions
Please try again in a moment.
Analysing your answers
Please hold! This takes a few seconds
Couldn’t check your answers
Your answers are still here — try again in a moment.
You’ve been signed out
Sign in (it opens in a new tab), then try again — your answers are still on this page.
This exercise is for Premium members
Upgrade to answer questions about this article and get personalised feedback.
Audio label
Your results
Something went wrong checking this answer.
Sign in