Misanthrope Essay - Matthew Wong

Wylie. Period 5

In “The Misanthrope” by Moliere, Celimene induces thoughtful laughter in the reader. Her reflection of the French Court and the elite bring out thoughtful laughter. Celimene is a woman who is being courted by many suitors and is also very flirtatious. Moliere paints the picture of Celimene to have hypocritical tendencies and less than ethical social behaviors which causes her in the end to lose many suitors. These characteristics awaken thoughtful laughter in the reader.

Moliere shows Celimene’s most prominent underlying trait to be her hypocrisy. As the reader learns about Celimene, they learn more of how she seems to flirt and flatter every suitor who looks her way. Her hypocritical actions produce some thoughtful laughter through her two-faced ways. Celimene’s hypocrisy also is one of the main driving forces of the play, as her suitors have various reactions to her flirting to move action forward.

As a result of Celimene’s hypocritical ways, Moliere uses Celimene as an example of French Court, and she loses many of her suitors. Celimene as a woman can only truly like one man. Yet she seems to indulge in all men, as a result she speaks ill of every man but one behind their backs. Towards the end of the story, her suitors find out that Celimene has been speaking negatively of them. Moliere seizes this opportunity to incite thoughtful laughter. Moliere makes it so that Celimene’s suitors all leave her and lose interest once they find out of her gossiping actions. Moliere once again uses Celimene and her hypocritical traits to create thoughtful laughter.

Celimene’s less than ethical social behavior shows just how much one can lose. Celimene starts at the top of the French Court, but after her disrespectful social behavior, she drops to the bottom. After she loses all but one of her suitors, Celimene remains confident. Moliere shows Celimene to still have her mind even after her huge downfall. Her primary and last suitor then proposes to Celimene. Moliere induces thoughtful laughter when Celimene rejects his offer to marry and run away. Celimene loses her last suitor and ends up alone in this climatic thoughtful laughter provoking scene. This last act of Celimene proves Celimene to be Moliere’s primary thoughtful laughter creating character.

Celimene inhibits a few characteristics which induce thoughtful laughter. Celimene is extremely hypocritical, and does not have very good social behavior ethics. This causes Celimene to end up alone, and helps to produce thoughtful laughter within the reader. Celimene with her array of hypocritical tendencies is Moliere’s primary character who awakens “thoughtful laughter”.