Moliere's Plays - The Misanthrope In Contemporary American English

It is possible that Moliere wanted to avoid a contentious treatment of his new play, The Misanthrope, given the banning that Tartuffe had experienced for its criticism of the church hypocrisy. Therefore, he presented in The Misanthrope a mild comedy of superficial manners of the French aristocracy. Yet, the comedy was engaging enough to satirize adult flaws in human relationships.Despite the lack of action, adventure, and suspense, the play manages to present the audience the quirks and tics of individual characters rather than types or classes. A few characters achieve roundness, allowing readers and audiences to peek into their inner springs. Alceste, Célimène, and Philinte are ambivalent and multidimensional enough in their behavior as to keep the public guessing what their fates will be. Although Alceste —the Misanthrope— is constant in his rejection of friends, and even the world in general, his heart yearns for love. At one point, Alceste wishes to run away and live in a remote place, but not in solitude, since he wants Célimène to accompany him. From this we can conclude that what ails Alceste is ennui—he is sick of the tedious people in his circle. In the end we realize that he is more of a misfit or an eccentric than a misanthrope.