I always do the first line well, but I have trouble doing the others.
MoliereRead
It is a strange enterprise to make respectable people laugh.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Making serious or respectable individuals laugh can be a challenging task.
Moliere's quote highlights the difficulty and complexity involved in finding humor that resonates with those who typically uphold a serious demeanor. It suggests that humor often straddles a fine line between irreverence and respect, especially when aimed at an audience that values decorum.
Themes
HumorLaughterRespectableEnterpriseChallenge
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a comedy event to illustrate the challenge of making an audience composed of serious individuals laugh.
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Betrayed and wronged in everything, I’ll flee this bitter world where vice is king, And seek some spot unpeopled and apart Where I’ll be free to have an honest heart. - Molière, The Misanthrope
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Oh, I may be devout, but I am human all the same.
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Hypocrisy is a fashionable vice, and all fashionable vices pass for virtue.
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