Oronte (first played by Marie Claveau) An outgoing, seemingly confident man who also loves Célimène for a time. Acaste (first played by André Hubert) A young, pompous marquis who believes he is deserving of Célimène's love. He is mainly thought of as Alceste's foil. Philinte (first played by La Grange) A polite man who genuinely cares for Alceste, and recognizes the importance of occasionally veiling one's true opinions in a social context. She also communicates her preference of taking it up the back way, if the suitor seems open to the idea. Célimène pays much attention to social appearances. She is playful and flirtatious, and likes to point out the flaws of everyone she meets behind their backs. Célimène (first played by Armande Béjart-Molière) A young woman who is courted by Alceste, Oronte, Acaste, and Clitandre. He cannot help but love Célimène though he loathes her behaviour. He is quick to criticize the flaws of everyone around him, including himself. He believed the audience should support Alceste's high ideals rather than laugh at his misadventures.Ĭharacters and cast of premier Alceste (first played by Molière) The protagonist and misanthrope of the title. D'Alembert on Spectacles that it was Molière's best work, but hated that it made Alceste the butt of its humor. The French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau claimed in his Letter to M. Molière has been the target of much criticism for The Misanthrope over the years. As a result, there is much ambiguity about whether the main character Alceste is intended as a hero for his uncompromising honesty, or as a quixotic fool.

The play, though not a commercial success in its time, survives as Molière's best known work today.īecause both Tartuffe and Don Juan, two of Molière's previous plays, had already been banned by the French government, Molière may have softened his ideas to make the play more socially acceptable. It also differs from most of Molière's other works by focusing more on character development and nuances than on plot progression. The play differs from other farces of the time by employing dynamic characters like Alceste and Célimène as opposed to the flat caricatures of traditional social satire. The play satirizes the hypocrisies of French aristocratic society, but it also engages a more serious tone when pointing out the flaws that afflict all humans. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by the King's Players. The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover ( French: Le Misanthrope ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux French pronunciation: ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière.

Tartuffe by molière