Moliere the Misanthrope

The Misanthrope Molieres sport The Misanthrope is a clowning that represents social satire, satirizing the conventions of the society which Moliere lived in and observed. Perhaps the character of Alceste best demonstrates the elements of drollery and tragedy that co-exist in Molieres play. Alceste, after completely, realizes his jealous nature makes him a comic figure. In fact, humankinds tragedy as convey by Moliere is that it cannot admit how funny, hypocritical, and ironic most of its actions and views are.Because of this, Molieres play is more than more comedy than tragedy. Alceste represents an everyman of his social milieu and culture in Molieres perception. He would like to be honest but knows he lives in a social system that is dishonest. Alceste chastises Philinte because of his hypocritical behavior toward strangers, who he hugs and professes slap-up love for but then reverses his position the minute they are gone. As Alceste tells him, Once the mans back is turned, y ou cease to love him, / And babble out with absolute indifference of him By God, I say its menial and scandalous / To falsify the hearts affections thus / If I caught myself behaving in such a way, / Id hang myself for shame, without delay (Moliere 17). magical spell the above treatment of ones fellow man may seem tragic, Moliere seems to be suggesting in a humorous way that every humans are often guilty of such behavior. In fact, it is Alcestes failures to recognize his own foibles that makes him so comical and his reaction to others hypocritical. Alceste is indignant and po-faced with others like Oronte, who writes a poem about his beloved Celimene.He fails to realize his green-eyed monster makes him just as guilty of treating others poorly as does Philintes hypocrisy. He is a jealous lover. He is a jealous friend. And he is unattackable on all those around him but himself. Moliere is maintaining this lack of self-perception may be mans tragedy but from it springs much of the humor and comedy in life. We see this humor when Alceste maintains he would get rid of all those who wooed Celimene were he his beloved, Were I this lady, I would soon get rid / Of lovers who authorize of all I did, / And by their slack indulgence and applause / Endorsed my follies and pardon my flaws (Moliere 68).In essence, Alceste endorses his own follies and excuses his own flaws. In conclusion, though there are unquestionably tragic elements that co-exist with the satire and comedy in Molieres The Misanthrope, overall the play is much more of a humorous and funny comedy than it is tragic. though lack of insight and self-perception may be a tragic frame of humankind, Moliere sees much more humor and comedy stemming from it.Work Cited Moliere, Jean Baptiste. The Misanthrope and Tartuffe. rising York Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1965.