Misathrope Essay, Clair Fuller, Asher Per. 4

From The Misanthrope, choose a scene or a character who awakens “thoughtful laughter” in the reader. Write a carefully organized essay in which you show why this laughter is “thoughtful” and how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

In Moliere’s play The Misanthrope, Moliere satirizes aristocratic French society, as well as the flaws of human kind. Moliere, traditionally critical in his works (often at the fault of his reputation in high court) uses satire to create humorous plays that also evoked deeper thought from the audience. The Misanthrope is no exception. Ace I Scene 1 is an example of such a use of humor as a vehicle for criticism.

            In this scene, the misanthropic Alceste rants about the hypocrisy of society to his amiable friend Philinte. Alceste says that the false flattery that politeness dictates be extended to all is disgusting, going so far as to say that he should “break from the human race.” Philinte is quick to point out that for all of Alceste’s criticisms of polite society, he is in love with Celimene, a young and beautiful woman of the court who delights in flirting and entertaining. Throughout this scene, both characters engage in witty banter with plenty of good zingers—all in rhyming couplets, of course. In this way, the scene establishes a tone for the play, which is filled with clever, quick dialogue. It also serves as an appropriate opener for the show because it contains criticism of both contemporary high society and mankind’s flaws, two subjects that are continually critiqued in subsequent scenes.

            The satire in this scene is twofold: the overt criticism of polite society via Alceste, and a more subtle irony that comes in light of that fact that Alceste, who hates the court for its hypocrisy, is a hypocrite himself for falling in love with a woman so steeped in the culture of the high court. The surface level satire is delivered plainly to the audience, and with a fair amount of humor, in Alceste’s voice. His blanket hatred for all mankind if clearly overblown—his is a larger than life caricature of a cynic—but his criticism is valid, especially for the time period, when rank, reputation, and politeness were everything. Delving deeper into the scene, however, Moliere’s critique not just of French aristocrats but also of humanity’s recurring flaws becomes evident. Alceste writes off all of society as hypocritical, and yet his love for Celimene makes him a hypocrite himself. Celimene is a woman who engages in the exact kind of behavior Alceste purports to hate, and yet he is completely infatuated with her. Moliere in this case uses Alceste as a classic example of the “pot calling the kettle black.”

            Recognizing the dual targets of Moliere’s satire is an important step in understanding the play’s meaning. However, it requires careful examination and evaluation of the purpose of a scene that is ostensibly humorous. In this way, The Misanthrope is a comedy—but one that elicits a “thoughtful laughter.”