The Misanthrope

A Play

Molière

• Publisher: Open Road Media
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781504064149
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: European Drama
• Index: Literature

The classic comedy about seventeenth-century French society—and a man who despises everyone.

This play in verse, which debuted in 1666 in Paris, lives on as one of the greatest masterpieces of stage comedy. It follows Alceste—who constantly bemoans the flaws, foibles, and hypocrisies of the human race—and his competition with many other suitors for the hand of the alluring and flirtatious Celimene. In addition to its sheer entertainment value as an intriguing tale of romantic rivalries, The Misanthrope sparks debate on questions of honesty, idealism, and social niceties to this day.

Act I

Scene I

PHILINTE, ALCESTE

PHILINTE

What is it? What’s the matter?

ALCESTE, seated

Leave me, pray.

PHILINTE

But tell me first, what new fantastic humour …

ALCESTE

Leave me alone, I say. Out of my sight!

PHILINTE

But can’t you listen, at least, and not be angry?

ALCESTE

I will be angry, and I will not listen.

PHILINTE

I cannot understand your gusts of temper;

And though we’re friends, I’ll be the very first …

ALCESTE, starting to his feet

What, I, your friend? Go strike that off your books.

I have professed to be so hitherto;

But after seeing what you did just now,

I tell you flatly I am so no longer

And want no place in such corrupted hearts.

PHILINTE

Am I so very wicked, do you think?

ALCESTE

Go to, you ought to die for very shame!

Such conduct can have no excuse; it must

Arouse abhorrence in all men of honour.

I see you load a man with your caresses,

Profess for him the utmost tenderness,

And overcharge the zeal of your embracings

With protestations, promises, and oaths;

And when I come to ask you who he is

You hardly can remember even his name!

Your ardour cools the moment he is gone,

And you inform me you care nothing for him!

Good God! tis shameful, abject, infamous,

So basely to play traitor to your soul;

And if, by evil chance, I’d done as much,

I should go straight and hang myself for spite.

PHILINTE

It doesn’t seem to me a hanging matter,

And I’ll petition for your gracious leave

A little to commute your rigorous sentence,

And not go hang myself for that, an’t please you.

ALCESTE

How unbecoming is your pleasantry!

PHILINTE

But seriously, what would you have me do?

ALCESTE

Be genuine; and like a man of honour

Let no word pass unless it’s from the heart.

PHILINTE

But when a man salutes you joyfully,

You have to pay him back in his own coin,

Make what response you can to his politeness,

And render pledge for pledge, and oath for oath.

ALCESTE

No, no, I can’t endure these abject manners

So much affected by your men of fashion;

There’s nothing I detest like the contortions

Of all your noble protestation-mongers,

So generous with meaningless embraces,

So ready with their gifts of empty words,

Who vie with all men in civilities,

And treat alike the true man and the coxcomb.

What use is it to have a man embrace you,

Swear friendship, zeal, esteem, and faithful love,

And loudly praise you to your face, then run

And do as much for any scamp he meets?

No, no. No self-respecting man can ever

Accept esteem that ‘s prostituted so;

The highest honour has but little charm

If given to all the universe alike;

Real love must rest upon some preference;

You might as well love none, as everybody.

Since you go in for these prevailing vices,

By God, you ‘re not my kind of man, that’s all;

I’ll be no sharer in the fellowship

Of hearts that make for merit no distinction;

I must be singled out; to put it flatly,

The friend of all mankind’s no friend for me.

PHILINTE

But, while we’re of the world, we must observe

Some outward courtesies that custom calls for.

ALCESTE

No, no, I tell you; we must ruthlessly

Chastise this shameful trade in make-beliefs

Of friendship. Let’s be men; on all occasions

Show in our words the truth that’s in our hearts,

Letting the heart itself speak out, not hiding

Our feelings under masks of compliment.

PHILINTE

There’s many a time and place when utter frankness

Would be ridiculous, or even worse;

And sometimes, no offence to your high honour,

tis well to hide the feelings in our hearts.

Would it be proper, decent, in good taste,

To tell a thousand people your opinion

About themselves? When you detest a man,

Must you declare it to him, to his face?

ALCESTE

Yes.

PHILINTE

What!—you’d tell that ancient dame, Emilia,

That she’s too old to play the pretty girl,

And that her painting is a public scandal?

ALCESTE

Of course.

PHILINTE

And Dorilas, that he’s a bore;

And that he’s wearied every ear at court

With tales of his exploits and high extraction?

ALCESTE

By all means.

PHILINTE

You are joking.

ALCESTE

No. I’ll spare

No one. My eyes are far too much offended.

Th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Contents
• Characters
• ACT I
• ACT II
• ACT III
• ACT IV
• ACT V
• Copyright