Misanthrope Essay -Wylie period 1

The Misanthrope is a comedy written by Moliere, which reflects the corrupted society and different types by love by people living in this society. In this comedy, Moliere awakens thoughtful laughter using Alceste, the main character, throughout the story.

Alceste believes truth and honesty are essential to the true integrity but is blind to his lover’s faults, reflecting the corrupted behavior of human beings. Alceste abhors the hypocrites but he himself becomes one of them by going easy on faults of Celimene, his lover, which is against his belief. This brings out a thoughtful laughter in the reader by showing them how human beings tolerate their loved ones’ faults.

Another example of thoughtful laughter can be seen in Act.2, scene 1, where Alceste criticizes on Celimene’s behavior based on his standard. Alceste tells Celimene to do as what he tells her to do, saying that it’s all because he loves her. However, in Act.2, scene 4, Eliante tells him that love is not finding merit in the faults of a lover. At this point thoughtful laughter is evoked because this reflects some individuals in the society who thinks they are doing the right thing but the truth is not. People have their own way of showing their loves but that should be fixed if their lovers don’t think of that as a love.

Lastly, in Act.1, scene 2, Alceste tells Oronte that people cannot be a friend by agreement but he becomes one with Arsinoe to use her, evoking thoughtful laughter to reader. In Act.3, scene 5, Arsinoe tells Alceste that she knows Celimene deceived him and that the proof is in her house. Alceste who has been treated her ignorantly changes his attitude and talks beneficently to her to find the proof. Alceste doesn’t apply his belief of being a friend to his action again in this scene summoning a thoughtful laughter in reader. His action also reflects the opportunistic human nature which is that people seek to full fill their goal using anything they need even that is a person whom they don’t like to be with.

The author of The Misanthrope, Moliere shows what a true thoughtful laughter is using Alceste who represents the immoral side of human nature. As readers read the story they laugh thinking of the time they had done the same thing as Alceste.

-Diana Kim