Misanthrope Essay- Wylie p. 5

By: Angela Oh (team 3)

In "Misanthrope", Moliere draws characters that reflect stereotypical attributes of people's personalities when living in a society defined by gossip, social structure, and pretense. He explores friendship, jealousy, and love and packages it into one story that provide readers "thoughtful laughter" and a exploration to one's inner self.

The much fancied Celimene is the love of the men in town and is often the center of jealousy among other women. Despite her shallowness, Alceste is in love with her much to Arsinoe's dismay. There is nothing but ill tension between the two, because Moliere characterizes Celimene as the charming flirty one, while Arisonoe is much older and more mundane. Moliere sets these two up for conflict through dialogue filled with double meaning and insincerity.

In Act II scene iv, Arsinoe confronts Celimene and acts like she is doing Celimene a favor by pointing out her tendency to excessively flirt. Arsinoe tries all she can to make herself sound sincere but clearly that is not her intentions as secretly Arsione is jealous and she is venting her jealousy on Celimene in the form of "advice." Celimene on the other hand recoils and attacks, telling Arsinoe how people regard as old and dull; all of which Celimene eagerly agrees to. Their converstation, although it seems that the hurtful words are coming from someone else, take root from the messenger as well.

To be loved and accepted in society, characters form "Misanthrope" often hid their true feelings and disguised them to cover up their true self  to please someone or even them self. This is a reoccurring theme, as Philiante is also very pretentious and sweet talks everyone. Moliere, through Celimene and Arsinoe's confrontation portrays the pettiness and tensions between two women who cannot be genuine to each other.