FREE ESSAY ON MISANTHROPE BY MOLIERE

MISANTHROPE BY MOLIERE

The Misanthrope 
by Moliere, 1622 
Main characters 
Alceste - He is in love with Celimene and very cynical about people and the way they act.

Celimene - She is conceited and shallow being everything that Alceste dislikes in a
person. 
Philinte - He is a good friend of Alceste but just the opposite in character since he is
less frank and more sincere towards others. 
Arsinoe - She serves as a foil to Celimene being just as clever but less shallow. 
Minor Characters 
Eliante - She is Celimene's good and reasonable cousin. 
Oronte - He is in love with Celimene and a writer of poetry. 
Clitandre - He is another suitor trying to gain the hand of Celimene. 
Setting 
Celimene's apartment - There is very little action and very much dialogue in this play
which takes place in this apartment. 
Plot 
The play opens with a conversation between Alceste and Philinte. Alceste shows himself to
be very cynical about the motives of people and Philinte shows himself to be very sincere
believing that people should be kind to each other even if it meant putting on a false
face. We learn this through Alceste's and Philinte's comments on a poem written by their
friend Oronte. Alceste thinks it is horrible while Philinte thinks it is wonderful.
Philinte also says that Alceste was too blunt and could have softened his criticism.
Later, Alceste decides to go see Celimene and talk about their relationship. He tells her
that she should get rid of the rest of her suitors and she insists that he is her only
true lover. The rest of the suitors at Celimene's apartment believe the same as Alceste.
As they are talking, Oronte enters with the marshal who tells Alceste to apologize to
Oronte about the comments he made on his poem. Then Acaste and Clitandre argue over who
is the better lover for Celimene. After that situation, Arsinoe comes in to confront
Celimene about her personality. They discuss the matter very heatedly and Arsinoe does
not succeed in putting down Celimene. Finally after these conversations, Alceste brings a
letter to the attention of everyone. It is a letter from Celimene to Oronte. He tries to
confront Celimene about it, but she denies any such letter. Alceste wants to leave all
these problems he is having, but Philinte convinces him to stay and think everything
through. Then Oronte goes to Celimene to find out whom she truly loves and then all of
the others come in shortly after. While all of the characters are together Acaste reads
his letter from Celimene that discloses her feeling about everyone. Once this was
revealed, Clitandre and Acaste decide that she is not worth their time so they leave.
Oronte leaves her with a few words and then Arsinoe tells her a thing or two. Alceste
forgives her and still wants to be with her. She really does not want to be with him and
then Alceste decides that she is really not worth his time and he really does not like
her. Philinte and Eliante decide to get married and make it their duty to make Alceste
happy. 
Symbols 
Alceste - He symbolizes the cynicism and hypocrisy of the manners of the time. 
Philinte - He symbolizes the sometimes false goodness and friendship of people. 
lawsuits - This represents irony and the effects of telling the truth since Alceste is
punished by Oronte with a lawsuit for telling the truth. 
Style 
This is a French tragic comedy written in Alexandrines which are couplets of 6 beats. It
was translated into English iambic pentameter with rhymed couplets. The strong beat and
rhyming of the dialogue flow well and enhance the supposed wit of the characters. 
Philosophy 
This is a comedy of manners showing the hypocrisy that the author saw in the court during
his time. He shows through the play that one should not be painfully frank all the time
and not always be insincere, either. One must find a balance between the two where the
truth can be conveyed with tact. 
Quotes 
Alceste, "Friends? Friends, you say? Well, cross me off your list 
I've been your friend till now as you well know; 
But after what I saw a moment ago 
I tell you flatly that our ways must part. 
I wish no place in a dishonest heart." 
Alceste expresses his disapproval of the way Philinte hugs everyone. Act 1, sc 1, ln
9-13. 
Celimene, "She shows her zeal in every holy place, 
But still she's vain enough to paint her face." 
Celimene talks about how Arsinoe fakes religious piety while still being very vain. 
Arsinoe, "I've ocular evidence which will persuade you 
Beyond a doubt; that Celimene's betrayed you." 
Arsinoe tells Alceste that Celimene in fact does not love him. Act III, sc vii, ln
354-355. 
Alceste, "Meanwhile; 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." 
Alceste tells the audience that he will not compromise his honesty for anything. Act V,
sc viii, ln 335 - 339. 
Moliere's classic 17th century comedy views the world through the eyes of it's title
character and reveals the pretense and posturing amongst the so-called witty literati of
the 17th century French court. It shows us two extremes between the real and the ideal.
On the one hand, we have Alceste, disgusted with the hypocrisy of the world, who has
declared that there is no good in man, and who has vowed never to lie about the virtues
of others. He is, of course, the misanthrope of the title. This attitude gets him into a
considerable amount of trouble, including a law suit which he loses because he refuses to
flatter the judge and the emnity of Oronte, whose poetry he cannot bring himself to
praise. His big problem is that he is in love with the flirtatious and shallow Celimene
(as is his rival Oronte), and continues to be so despite his knowledge of all her faults,
ones which he depises in others. 
On the other hand, we have his friend Philinte, (Kevin) who has the instincts of a
courtier, always ready to find a word in praise of others. Moliere manages to make him
sufficiently sympathetic that the audience will not blame or despise him for this in the
way that it will some of the other characters. Nevertheless, the main interest for both
Moliere and for us is the character of Alceste, which is only natural given that there
are more possibilities for comedy in a character who is different from everyone else
around him (and from the audience too - a major part of the point of the play), and who
refuses to moderate his principles in any way whatsoever.