This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Caspian blue (talk | contribs) at 23:34, 18 December 2006 (→External links). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 23:34, 18 December 2006 by Caspian blue (talk | contribs) (→External links)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Le Misanthrope ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux (June 4th 1666) is a 17th century comedy of manners written by French playwright Molière.
Roy Matthews and F. Dewitt Platt suggest in their introduction to the play that the argument between characters Alceste and Philinte may share some of Molière's own internal conflict. The play, though not a commercial success in its time, survives as Molière's best known work today. Much of its universal appeal is due to common undercurrents of misanthropy across cultural borders.
Plot summary
This work centers on the protagonist Alceste, whose wholesale rejection of his culture's polite social conventions make him tremendously unpopular. This manifests itself in the primary conflict of the play, which results from Alceste's refusal to compliment a sonnet by Oronte, a character who lacks Alceste's respect for unabashed sincerity.
Philinte represents a foil for Alceste's moral extremism, and speaks throughout the first act of the play on the necessity of self-censorship and polite flattery to smooth over the rougher textures of a complex society.
External links
- Le Misanthrope (all the text, in French)
- Plot overview (in French)
- The Misanthrope (all the text, in English)
 | This article on a play is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |