Focus on the use of satire in Moliere's The Misanthrope. How do the characters contribute to the definition that says "satire" is "the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule" that "expose[s] and criticize[s] people's stupidity or vices."
Molière was one of the most widely renowned playwrights of his time. He created many excellent works such as "Tartuffe", "Don Jaun", and "The School For Wives". He was known for his excellent satires and even created ballet comedies. However, many people know the name "The Misanthrope" and they immediately credit it as one of Molière's greatest works. Yet, when someone reads this play, they don't always see it as a comedy. The harsh criticism each of the characters has for the others makes this play seem harsh at times and not very laughable. However, once the reader realizes that this entire play is a satire on social behavior and the expectations that each individual has for the others, it becomes quite entertaining. Each of the characters has their own personal flaws, just as most people do. No one is safe from the harsh ridicule that is exchanged throughout the play at the expense of each character.
"The Misanthrope" holds many satirical qualities, especially in the self proclaimed misanthrope, Alceste. Alceste is constantly being ridiculed by others for his brutal honesty and his inability to function under normal social behavior. His "ugly moods" (6) and "vast distaste" (116) leave him the subject of his friend Philinte's ridicule, which causes the audience to find humor in Alceste's character. He continuously is condemned for being too honest and creates many disturbances by being so honest at the most inopportune moments. Meanwhile, Philinte is not solely a ridiculer, he also takes some criticism from Alceste for being dishonest in the way that he tactfully avoids having interactions with people in which someone may be upset by the truth. He creates amusement for the audience when he continuously flatters Oronte for his sonnet which is truthfully atrocious. Molière creates satire when he uses his characters to ridicule each other for their vices, which is amusing to the crowd.
There is also quite a bit of irony in this play, mostly at the expense of Célimène and Arsinoé, who the men find to be entertaining, and are often nitpicking at the other. Arsinoé approaches Célimène to inform her of a blow to her reputation in which people believe that she has been enrapturing all the men because she is free with her sexual favors. However, there is irony in this statement because the truth is that Arsinoé is actually the one who is trading sexual favors for attention. This situation allows the audience to witness the irony and find humor in it at the expense of the characters. There is also irony in how the play ends, because the couples that are expected to get together end up ruining their relationships and quickly settling for other characters who are better suited to them and their temperaments. This sudden realization shows the stupidity that the entire crew had been experiencing as they had based their affections on the wrong ideas of love.
"The Misanthrope" is a satirical play that bases it's amusement factor on the ridicule that others experience when they don't adhere to the requirements that society deems acceptable. It is a bit disturbing to me that as a race we find it entertaining to watch another person be put down constantly for their faults, however, this is not necessarily a new idea. Many people find that they are happy when another person is put down because they feel more powerful. This play allows the audience to watch as each character becomes frustrated and confused by their own flawed actions in a way that is amusing to everyone. While this play is mainly a satire, the audience also sees a message in it that everyone has flaws that other people see, but because it is not polite to do so, no one will tell you what they are. It makes people take a closer look at themselves and their faults before judging others.
Hannah, I like how, in your second paragraph, you focused mainly on the relationship between Philinte and Alceste and what that contributes to the play. The two characters really play off of each other and do provide a large amount of the satire that occurs throughout “The Misanthrope.” The in-text citations that you used to describe Alceste, in particular, were done very well. In your third paragraph, I found the same irony in the end of the play, but the irony that you pointed out that occurs in the relationship between Celimene and Arsinoe is one that I did not elaborate on. Really, there are two cases of irony there. Arsinoe is the one who is using her gender to manipulate, but Celimene is guilty of toying with all of her suitors as Arsinoe suggests she is. You were also right in saying that all of the ridicule in the play happens at the expense of the characters. You did a good job of focusing on the use of irony and ridicule and provided accurate situations from the play to illustrate how Moliere used the different aspects of satire. Nice job, Hannah!
Hannah, Before I mention anything else, I would just like to comment on your intext citations. I am always so amazed at how effortlessly you always add them in there. You always get them to flow so naturally. I love reading what you write, specifically for the way you write. I also enjoy your opinions, too! It was very smart to focus on Philinte and Alceste, as they were the main characters and did supply a lot of the satirical qualities. Also, it was sweet how you added the sentimental note at the end of your blog about the deeper meaning. Nice blog, I enjoyed it!
Moliére was the Shakespeare of French drama, or he would be if Shakespeare were an aristocrat who abandoned his social status to pursue a life on the stage. Moliere was also a master of satire; he displayed this skill in one of more successful plays "The Misanthrope". Moliere played with many conflicting social satires in "The Misanthrope" we find tensions between emotion and restraint, religion and sin, movement and stasis, and a variety of others. But the tensions exhibited between self-integrity and social acceptance and honesty versus hypocrisy are the two main satire conflicts used. At the opening of the play we quickly discover that the main character, Alceste, finds social interaction dishonest, and unjust. He finds that the current structures of society makes a man who is honest look and seem like an outcast. Alcestes internal struggle comes from his desire to be honest in his social interactions in a dishonest social structure. We see him become angry and disgusted over hypocritical social interactions early in the play, which allow us to form an opinion of him. Then, we see that Alceste has to choose between being brutally honest in order to keep his self-integrity and being hypocritical in order to gain social acceptance, throughout the play. Célimène was written as stereotypical example of women in the seventeenth century who were flirts or harlots. She apparently flirts with everyman she sees, and is cheating on several while in relationships with others. Then plays with them like a cat toying with a mouse, to see which man will give her the most. But once she is exposed to be cheating on several men they all leave her. She proves to be the perfect satire example of a renaissance harlot. Especially with dramatic irony since the audience knows she's cheating on several men, while the other characters of the play remain oblivious till everyone found out her dirty little secret. While Alceste is the play's voice of crazy, Philinte is the voice of reason. He's basically just there to balance Alceste out and give him a lot of advice on how not to get in so much trouble, just like Jiminy Cricket. Just like Pinocchio, Alceste ignores him and gets into trouble. Mainly, Philinte wants Alceste to stop being so extreme about everything. We can practically hear him saying, "Can't we all just get along?" He's the only guy in the play who isn't obsessed with Célimène, and he doesn't cause any trouble. This makes him actually turn into a boring, goody-two-shoe of a character. The satire of the play is only successful because of the characters portrayed in it. The criticism of society is being based off an impure/unjust society that depends on lies and corruption as a norm. Alceste who realizes this flaw emphasizes it constantly throughout the play. While Philinte just goes with the flow like he hasn't got a care in the world, and just wants peace and love. Then Celimene furthers corruption with her harlot intentions with several suitors. All of these characters put together make the satire of human flaws and society as a whole. For our society today we find amusement sometimes at the despair of other, much like the intention of this play. The audience could also read into the play and see a message, that everyone has flaws and no one is perfect.
Devyn, random statement for the future, I would try and put spaces in between each paragraph because it makes it easier to read. Just a suggestion for the future. Any who, getting into your blog, you're very right when you mentioned how society considers people who always tell the truth, outcasts. It's strange to think that telling the truth can make one be considered strange and unusual. There are probably an equal number of people who would like to be given constructive criticism as those who wouldn't like it. A concept that I find hard to grasp is why or how someone could fix a flaw they don't know they have. Celimene is a very flirtatious woman and I think you described that irony very well. I never really considered it cheating because she wasn't committed to any one, but it makes sense now. She likes to fool around and flirt with many men instead of committing to one. The audience knows this, but the suitors don't. It's because of this that the irony adds humor into the play. I found many points in your blog unique and fascinating. Good work!
Devyn, I really liked how you detailed a few of the characters and pointed out the satire Moliere produced through them. All of the distinct qualities of the characters play off of each other to enhance the irony and ridicule. I also thought your description of Celimene's character was on point. Her flirty behavior, I thought, allowed the reader to recognize how hypocritical Alceste was. He was totally opposed to anyone who didn't follow high standards he set, yet he was breaking them by being with a woman of such popularity amongst the men. Philinte was another character that you described well, especially when you called him the Jiminy Cricket to Alceste's Pinocchio. I never thought of it that way, but I am glad you gave me a new perspective on his character. Overall, this was a wonderful blog, Devyn!
Jean Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Moliere, was arguably one of the best play writes, and it is often said that he himself is somewhat of a a French Shakespeare, filling their culture with his writings of satirical and comedic plays. Throughout his days, Moliere has written a numerous amount of plays and sonnets, with “The Misanthrope” being a popular play, read and studied today. Not only did Moliere write these plays, but it is also known that he was an actor and would participate in his own plays. While Moliere came from a prestigious family, his father owning a furniture business, Moliere decided to go in a different direction and focus his education on social comedics, which proves to be beneficial to his writings.
In order to view “The Misanthrope” as a satire, It is necessary to know what exactly satire is. The dictionary defines satire as “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.” With satire explained, it is easier to see that “The Misanthrope” was satirically written. This play is dramatically filled with petty problems, tying mockery, irony, and humor into the plot of the story as well as the characters themselves. One of my favorite moments in the entire play was so sarcastically written on the bottom of page 1395, I couldn't help but laugh. Clitandre and Acaste were in an argument when Clitandre remarked “You’re blind, dear fellow. This is sheer dellusion.” (50) Acaste seems as if he doesn’t want to fight and simply replies “All right, then: I’m deluded and I’m blind.” (51) Clitandre pressed on, “Whatever put that notion in your mind?” (52) Acaste’s simple response was so ironic, so mocking that I had to laugh. His one word answer mimicked Clitandre’s original attack at him, “Delusion.” (53)
I found the conversation between Acaste and Clitandre to be a good example of the satire that continues on throughout the play. In this small passage, I believe that it hold all of the qualities explained such as humor, exaggeration, irony, and ridicule as well as the exposition and criticism of both the characters stupidity and vices. Both characters, Acaste and Clitandre, were unknowing and ignorant to the true place of the ladies love, as they both thought they held her heart, with their pride leading them so confidently to believe this. The words they said led to their own exposure as well as the criticism of eachother, as Acaste specifically called Clitandre blind and delusional. His insults are a form of ridicule, due to the fact that they are insults, while they are also a form of irony as literally, Clitandre is neither blind nor delusional. The irony comes into play with the realization that their lady, Celimene, does not love wither one of them. Their back and forth bickering serves as the source of humor, with the witty remarks holding comedic qualities as well.
It amazes me that within such few lines, so many qualities can be found. The excerpt I explained is nothing but just one of the many examples that can be found within the play as Moliere filled every character and every page with satirical and comedic qualities. The majority of the situations, such as the conversation explained, remain to be comedic as they are relatable, understandable, and relevant to the “struggles” of today. Moliere wrote multiple plays and multiple satires, and “The Misanthrope” is one of his best.
Felicia, I appreciate how you provided the definition of a satire and then continued to explain how Moliere used it in “The Misanthrope.” But my favorite part of your entire blog was when you talked about the sarcastic exchange between Clitandre and Acaste. I don’t know why, but during that scene Acaste reminded me of Hamlet early on in the play when he is playfully arguing with his old college friends. Like Acaste he sort of plays along just to mock them. Anyway, when you went on to explain the purpose of that specific passage in the play and the qualities it expresses I was impressed. You literally picked one passage and used it to show a majority of the satirical qualities Moliere used in “The Misanthrope.” One of the things I do think you missed, however, was the irony of the words “blind and delusional” because, when it came down to it, both men were blind about Celimene’s treachery and delusional to think she actually loved them. Poor fellows had no idea what was going on. Your final paragraph really summed up your blog and yes, a few short lines were absolutely perfect for capturing the spirit and satire of the play. Great job as always!
Felicia, I really liked your blog. The fact that you weren't afraid to say stuff such as "petty" to describe the events help to show you understand the play on a much deeper level than if you were to just read it for fun and not look further into all the incredible uses of satire throughout the entire piece. I also elaborates on the conversation between Clitandre and Alceste. I couldn't agree more with what you said. It was almost as if the two characters were blind to their own mistakes because they were too focused on the flaws of other people. I never really thought of the comments about him being blind could also be used as types of irony. I'm really glad you pointed that out though because now as I look back I see a lot more forms of irony. I applaud you for relating a play written so long ago to the struggles of today's society. It was my favorite part. Good work!
As always, your unique perspective on our blog topics brings a very interesting and throught provoking subject to the table in a manner that challenges me. First, I think it was interesting how you chose to focus on only one part of the play instead of focusing on its entirety. However, I think this really worked in your favor! This whole interaction between Acaste and Clitandre was one of my favorite parts. It was so amusing and I remember having to put my book down to contain myself after wanting to laugh quite loudly and innappropriately at the amount of sass contained in this passage. The way you analyzed it was very insightful, and I like your inputs. This was a well put together blog and I enjoyed the entire thing, I just wish I could've seen your perspective on more parts of it! But altogether, great job!
Moliere’s “The Misanthrope” may address some serious issues in society but it is still considered a great satire. A satire is any literary work that makes fun of something through methods such as irony and exaggeration. “The Misanthrope” has some of the most important elements of a satire including ridicule and irony, especially in the cases of Alceste and Celimene. The play also shows exaggeration when it comes to the views and attitudes of several of the characters. It is most apparent between Alceste and Philinte who have oppositely extreme views.
Alceste was a point of ridicule amongst his peers because of his overstated honesty. He was often criticized and seen as a spoil sport. Acaste and Clitandre, in particular, make fun of Alceste when he scorns them and Celimene for speaking about people whom they pretend to like in person behind their backs. The ridicule spreads beyond the character of Alceste, though, because “The Misanthrope” as a whole pokes fun at the twisted way society is today. Philinte provides the clearest view of society because he acknowledges the problem, although he is not willing to do anything about it. He, as well as Alceste, knows that the false flattery that people offer each other in person is only used for social advancement and that, behind closed doors, mostly everyone is offended eventually. Alceste, however, has the tendency to ridicule people to their face, even if he does so in an evasive and round-about way. He shows this during his encounter with Oronte. When Oronte reads his poetry to Alceste and Philinte, Philinte praises it even though it is not the best. Alceste, on the other hand, tells Oronte about a “friend” who once wrote poetry and how Alceste told the friend to not pursue it because he did not need to. He eventually comes around to telling Oronte that he did not like it at all and that he should make no further attempts to write. So which method was better? Was Philinte right to offer false praise or was Alceste right to offend Oronte entirely with his beat-around-the-bush honesty?
Although Philinte and Alceste see the same problem in the nature of mankind, they approach it differently. Philinte is content to let it be because he believes that no man can change the way all other men are. Alceste, on the other hand, tries to use his overwhelming honesty to balance out the lies that are in constant circulation around him. Neither man will ever achieve much through their means of action, or inaction, but the polar opposite views serve to exaggerate each other. In the presence of one another, each man seems even more extreme. That is way Philinte was a more suitable match for Eliante in the end. Eliante is not one to lie to people just to please them, but she understands that several people operate that way. Her difference from Alceste is best shown when Alceste says that a lover criticizes his love to better them and Eliante argues that a true lover sees each of their loves flaws as an endearing quality.
The irony of “The Misanthrope” is in the lack of relationships that occur at the end of the play. What I mean is, the combination of Philinte and Eliante was hinted at early on but the reader also thought that Celimene and Alceste would end up with someone if not each other. It was obvious that they were too different to stay together, but both Celimene and Alceste had multiple people who supposedly loved them. However, it was because of Celimene’s flirtatious and fake nature that she drove away all of her suitors, including Alceste. For Alceste, his love of Celimene ruined him because he could not come to love another woman in his broken state after Celimene’s treachery against him and the other suitors.
Your blog was well supported. I loved it. You obviously put a lot of thought into this blog. After finishing the third paragraph, I realized something I never saw before. Éliante is the central point of Alceste and Philinte's views. She believes in honesty, kindness, and change. It is encouraging to know that at least one character is able to balance the world out. I noticed you also mentioned how Éliante believes that lovers are supposed to love each other's flaws. I think we have all heard this at one point in our life, and I love that Moliere incorporates it into The Misanthrope. There is not much loving of people AND their flaws in this play. Everyone seems to love each other for money, power, or beauty. I enjoy that you mentioned that. Awesome job!
As always, your blog has raised ultimately more questions than it answered. But not in a bad way! It makes me think even more intensely about the points you bring up, and I love that about your blogs. Particularly, I love how you expounded on the effects of the faults of Célimène and Alceste in your last paragraph. This was excellently stated and very insightful. And, as Kaitlin said, it was very interesting to read your third paragraph and have the revelation about Eliante and her central position in the play. This was very well done, just like always. Good work!
I may be alone in saying this, but I did not enjoy The Misanthrope as much as everyone else did. It was a great play that led up to the expectations critics gave it, but I had a really difficult time just getting into the play San being able to keep reading it. However, after all of the discussions we had in class, I found to be enjoying the play a lot more. Even though Alceste is the misanthrope, I found myself being drawn to him.
Alceste was an incredibly negative person who also liked to be brutally honest. He very often makes things seem worse than they actually are by exaggerating other's flaws. Alceste is correct in pointing out other's flaws, except, not everyone wants their flaws pointed out. If they would like to know their faults, most do not want them expressed as brutally as Alceste expressed them. It is obvious why he is so honest; he doesn't care about what others think because he doesn't like people. He is more than willing to say whatever he wants without thinking. This is his major flaw.
One of the biggest definitions of satire in the play is in the conversation between Clitandre and Alceste. It's not a very long conversation, but it expresses the strongest example of satire because it is full of humor, exaggeration, and criticism. Alceste calls Clitandre "blind". This hit me as something sort of strange. They both ridicule the other and don't realize that they actually need to take a step back from critiquing each other and look at their own flaws.
Although I wasn't a huge fan of The Misanthrope, I was able to find more enjoyment in the uses of satire. The characters were interesting and most contested or accented another. Philanthropy balanced out the negativity and brutality of Alceste. The contrast between the two of them adds to the satire of the entire play. I'm still not a huge fan of The Misanthrope I am glad I had the experience of reading it and furthering my knowledge of satire and its uses.
Jessica, Let me just start out by agreeing that I didn't necessarily like The Misanthrope(not for the same reasons but close). Alceste is definitely a very honest character, that points out people's flaws. No one personally wants their flaws pointed out, but sometimes it could be a good thing. Speaking as an athlete(which all of us are in someway) we build our skills off constructive criticism, no matter how brutally honest it is. Back to the blog, it is evident within the first few pages that Alceste likes no one at all. Him being this brutally honest is what gives this play the comedy that it needs to liven up the serious accusations of Alceste. I completely agree with your third paragraph, and well done.
Satire can sometimes be hard to recognize in a piece of literature. But when it is found, the work can be seen as something unexpected yet well-liked. For example, Moliere's "The Misanthrope" details the characterizing traits of people then and now. He easily satirized the high society of the French during the 17th Century and of the excuses of the society in power. He also uses irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to point out the flaws in human society in the stock characters he created. Each of the characters in the play emphasize on a flawed trait found in people of the French society.
The main character of "The Misanthrope" is Alceste. His attitude and honesty towards peoples are his major flaws. He exaggerates how awful it is to save someone's feelings by simply accepting their flaws. The stock characteristic of Alceste are actually inconsistent between his actions and his feelings. For example, he wants a socially acceptable love affair with Celimene, yet he begs her to leave Paris and its government when things don't end the way he wants them to. Despite Alceste's extreme self-confidence and pride, he is often ridiculed by those around him, including his best mate, Philinte. For example, Philinte was quick to call Alceste a crank when he dismissed Philinte's philosophy. Celimene and her friends, Acaste and Clitandre, make fun of Alceste behind his back even though he is currently Celimene's main love interest. Throughout the entire play, characters ridicule others just like Celimene and her friends do to Alceste.
Irony is a huge part of the ridicule going on in "The Misanthrope." I found it ironic that Philinte, who constantly reminded Alceste that Eliante would be the perfect girl for him, yet he was the one who landed the relationship. It was also ironic that Alceste, who often called people hypocrites, was actually the real hypocrite in the play, but he never considered himself that because he was too full of himself. I honestly thought the most ironic portion of "The Misanthrope" was how Alceste made it clear that he wanted a socially acceptable relationship, but he chose Celimene, who was involved with several men at a time and was a complete tease. Alceste was blinded by her beauty, something he would most likely criticize about someone else.
Moliere was certainly a smart cookie when it came to satire in his plays. The infatuation and human flaws he portrayed in "The Misanthrope" really emphasizes the poor qualities of the French society during the 17th Century. "The Misanthrope" is probably my favorite play so far this year, and I believe that the satire utilized in the characters and the plot really aided in to my opinion.
Natalie, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog this week. Alceste's attitude and honesty towards people are not his only flaws, he also fails to acknowledge his own flaws. Which can be interpreted into a bully like situation, someone ignoring their own flaws in order to bring down others into a depressed state. When you go back and look at your examples that were provided for Philinte and Alceste, I see two "friends" that balance each other out. These two characters appear to look at things in the opposite perspectives, with slight gray areas. Hence the reason for Philinte calling Alceste a "crank". I feel that your irony examples were spot on and well evaluated. Those examples are the factors that make this play a comedy in my opinion. Just imagine what Moliere could say about today's society and the play concepts he could make up with his mastery of satire.
I really enjoyed your blog! I thought it was well thought out, and you had very good example to support your thoughts. What catches my attention the most is when you mention that Célimène is a tease. I think the definition of a "tease" gets confused a lot. As I was reading The Misanthrope, i did not know how to feel about Célimène and Alceste's relationship. After much thought, I realized that I did not see Célimène or Alceste ending up together. I had this feeling that she never really liked him, but at the same time she was not going to shut him out. What if he was the one she chose? She would have missed out! I was watching a movie today, and the main character asked something along the lines of "So it's okay for men to act terrible, but not women?" This quote fits well in this situation. Is it really okay for Alceste to demand such things from Célimène, but she is not allowed to keep her options open because she does not truly love him? Like I said in my blog, I think Célimène used Alceste's words against him as an excuse to get away from him. That was what stood out to me the most. Your blog had more information that helped me understand the play from a different perspective. Great job!
Moliere's The Misanthrope is commonly known as a satire. I did not laugh with this play, but I found it ironic many times throughout reading it. The main character Alceste opens the play up with an argument about mankind's greatest downfall being hypocrisy. He is a very strong believer that this flaw needs to be changed. Philinste disagrees with Alceste saying that flaws need to be accepted because they cannot be changed. Each character exaggerates their point of view to represent how close minded they are. This is the start to many conflicts throughout the play.
Alceste has strong feelings for Célimène, a flirtatious woman. He says he loves her, but he expects so much from her that she refuses his offer to wed him at the end of the play. The real question is if Célimène refuses his offer because Alceste expects too much of her or if she wants to test her options out. She says it is due to his demanding request to run away with him. I believe she uses his request as an excuse to get out of the messy situation. Alceste expects Célimène to do what he asks. It is strange to watch Célimène flirt with various suitors while telling Alceste "maybe" continuously. It drove me nuts reading about how Célimène was treating Alceste. Her cruelty shows her true colors, and sends Alceste off depressed.
Philinte is chasing Célimène as well. He never makes a move because he knows Alceste is open about his feelings for Célimène. Although, Philinte is not really chasing Célimène because he likes her; he is following the crowd. He finds love with Éliante. Éliante, like Philinte, is respectful and has a greater understanding of human behavior than other characters do. She chases after Alceste like Philinte chases after Célimène. It is ironic to see the two make the same decisions. She says some humorous things about men who are in love, as well. I like to see her as the comic relief in all the seriousness of this satire.
These are not the only characters who support the definition of satire. One of my favorite characters Oronte is a jerk. He tells Alceste that he wants he wants his true opinion on his sonnet. When Alceste gives him the brutal truth he gets offended. I find it hilarious and irritating due to my own experience with people like Oronte. It frustrates me, but at the same time I find it funny that someone else has to deal with that kind of person. Another character that I like is Arsinoé. She is an older, unattractive woman that loves to gossip. She struggles with finding men to love her, particularly Alceste. She is unhappy, and I feel bad for her. She just wants to be loved for who she is. That is why she is rude to Célimène. Célimène has what Arsinoé will never receive. To make it worse, Célimène throws Alceste's love out the window.
The Misanthrope qualifies as a satire due to these characters personalities. Although the this play was not "haha" funny, it was funny in a different way. The characters' actions are how humans really act; this is supposed to help improve our own person. This play is the perfect example of a satire by just examining the characters. The places and situations each character is placed in also helps to further the plays point, and the fact that it is a satire. Moliere uses comedy to create a story that everyone is able to connect with.
Kaitlin, Lovely blog! Your writing drew me in from the very beginning. In your opening paragraph you mentioned on how everyone was so straightforward with their way of thinking, making them close minded. I never paid attention to that before! It is so true, because everyone is hypocrite. They all want the other to think exactly as they do. I hadn't really put that together until reading your blog. You also provided great examples involving the characters and their personalities. Although I did laugh out loud once, I thought it was very important how you added in the end of your blog that while this play was funny, it wasn't necessarily the type of funny that one is supposed to laugh along with. Great blog!
Kaitlin, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog! I thought it was genius to mention the different conflicts in the play that coincided with the irony and ridicule of satire. I also liked how you mentioned that the way Celimene treated Alceste drove you nuts. I was also going a little crazy with that whole concept, especially since Alceste appeared to truly love her. You said that Philinte was also chasing Celimene, something I didn't pick up on, but it is certainly a good theory. Maybe that was why he kept insisting Alceste that Eliante was the right girl for him rather than Celimene. Whatever the case, there was definitely a lot of infatuation going on. I was glad to see you mentioned Oronte, as well. I sort of forgot about him, but he certainly plays a part in the satire. Overall, this was an excellent blog with thought provoking statements. Well done!
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Molière was one of the most widely renowned playwrights of his time. He created many excellent works such as "Tartuffe", "Don Jaun", and "The School For Wives". He was known for his excellent satires and even created ballet comedies. However, many people know the name "The Misanthrope" and they immediately credit it as one of Molière's greatest works. Yet, when someone reads this play, they don't always see it as a comedy. The harsh criticism each of the characters has for the others makes this play seem harsh at times and not very laughable. However, once the reader realizes that this entire play is a satire on social behavior and the expectations that each individual has for the others, it becomes quite entertaining. Each of the characters has their own personal flaws, just as most people do. No one is safe from the harsh ridicule that is exchanged throughout the play at the expense of each character.
ReplyDelete"The Misanthrope" holds many satirical qualities, especially in the self proclaimed misanthrope, Alceste. Alceste is constantly being ridiculed by others for his brutal honesty and his inability to function under normal social behavior. His "ugly moods" (6) and "vast distaste" (116) leave him the subject of his friend Philinte's ridicule, which causes the audience to find humor in Alceste's character. He continuously is condemned for being too honest and creates many disturbances by being so honest at the most inopportune moments. Meanwhile, Philinte is not solely a ridiculer, he also takes some criticism from Alceste for being dishonest in the way that he tactfully avoids having interactions with people in which someone may be upset by the truth. He creates amusement for the audience when he continuously flatters Oronte for his sonnet which is truthfully atrocious. Molière creates satire when he uses his characters to ridicule each other for their vices, which is amusing to the crowd.
There is also quite a bit of irony in this play, mostly at the expense of Célimène and Arsinoé, who the men find to be entertaining, and are often nitpicking at the other. Arsinoé approaches Célimène to inform her of a blow to her reputation in which people believe that she has been enrapturing all the men because she is free with her sexual favors. However, there is irony in this statement because the truth is that Arsinoé is actually the one who is trading sexual favors for attention. This situation allows the audience to witness the irony and find humor in it at the expense of the characters. There is also irony in how the play ends, because the couples that are expected to get together end up ruining their relationships and quickly settling for other characters who are better suited to them and their temperaments. This sudden realization shows the stupidity that the entire crew had been experiencing as they had based their affections on the wrong ideas of love.
"The Misanthrope" is a satirical play that bases it's amusement factor on the ridicule that others experience when they don't adhere to the requirements that society deems acceptable. It is a bit disturbing to me that as a race we find it entertaining to watch another person be put down constantly for their faults, however, this is not necessarily a new idea. Many people find that they are happy when another person is put down because they feel more powerful. This play allows the audience to watch as each character becomes frustrated and confused by their own flawed actions in a way that is amusing to everyone. While this play is mainly a satire, the audience also sees a message in it that everyone has flaws that other people see, but because it is not polite to do so, no one will tell you what they are. It makes people take a closer look at themselves and their faults before judging others.
Hannah,
DeleteI like how, in your second paragraph, you focused mainly on the relationship between Philinte and Alceste and what that contributes to the play. The two characters really play off of each other and do provide a large amount of the satire that occurs throughout “The Misanthrope.” The in-text citations that you used to describe Alceste, in particular, were done very well. In your third paragraph, I found the same irony in the end of the play, but the irony that you pointed out that occurs in the relationship between Celimene and Arsinoe is one that I did not elaborate on. Really, there are two cases of irony there. Arsinoe is the one who is using her gender to manipulate, but Celimene is guilty of toying with all of her suitors as Arsinoe suggests she is. You were also right in saying that all of the ridicule in the play happens at the expense of the characters. You did a good job of focusing on the use of irony and ridicule and provided accurate situations from the play to illustrate how Moliere used the different aspects of satire. Nice job, Hannah!
Hannah,
DeleteBefore I mention anything else, I would just like to comment on your intext citations. I am always so amazed at how effortlessly you always add them in there. You always get them to flow so naturally. I love reading what you write, specifically for the way you write. I also enjoy your opinions, too! It was very smart to focus on Philinte and Alceste, as they were the main characters and did supply a lot of the satirical qualities. Also, it was sweet how you added the sentimental note at the end of your blog about the deeper meaning. Nice blog, I enjoyed it!
Moliére was the Shakespeare of French drama, or he would be if Shakespeare were an aristocrat who abandoned his social status to pursue a life on the stage. Moliere was also a master of satire; he displayed this skill in one of more successful plays "The Misanthrope". Moliere played with many conflicting social satires in "The Misanthrope" we find tensions between emotion and restraint, religion and sin, movement and stasis, and a variety of others. But the tensions exhibited between self-integrity and social acceptance and honesty versus hypocrisy are the two main satire conflicts used.
ReplyDeleteAt the opening of the play we quickly discover that the main character, Alceste, finds social interaction dishonest, and unjust. He finds that the current structures of society makes a man who is honest look and seem like an outcast. Alcestes internal struggle comes from his desire to be honest in his social interactions in a dishonest social structure. We see him become angry and disgusted over hypocritical social interactions early in the play, which allow us to form an opinion of him. Then, we see that Alceste has to choose between being brutally honest in order to keep his self-integrity and being hypocritical in order to gain social acceptance, throughout the play.
Célimène was written as stereotypical example of women in the seventeenth century who were flirts or harlots. She apparently flirts with everyman she sees, and is cheating on several while in relationships with others. Then plays with them like a cat toying with a mouse, to see which man will give her the most. But once she is exposed to be cheating on several men they all leave her. She proves to be the perfect satire example of a renaissance harlot. Especially with dramatic irony since the audience knows she's cheating on several men, while the other characters of the play remain oblivious till everyone found out her dirty little secret.
While Alceste is the play's voice of crazy, Philinte is the voice of reason. He's basically just there to balance Alceste out and give him a lot of advice on how not to get in so much trouble, just like Jiminy Cricket. Just like Pinocchio, Alceste ignores him and gets into trouble. Mainly, Philinte wants Alceste to stop being so extreme about everything. We can practically hear him saying, "Can't we all just get along?" He's the only guy in the play who isn't obsessed with Célimène, and he doesn't cause any trouble. This makes him actually turn into a boring, goody-two-shoe of a character.
The satire of the play is only successful because of the characters portrayed in it. The criticism of society is being based off an impure/unjust society that depends on lies and corruption as a norm. Alceste who realizes this flaw emphasizes it constantly throughout the play. While Philinte just goes with the flow like he hasn't got a care in the world, and just wants peace and love. Then Celimene furthers corruption with her harlot intentions with several suitors. All of these characters put together make the satire of human flaws and society as a whole. For our society today we find amusement sometimes at the despair of other, much like the intention of this play. The audience could also read into the play and see a message, that everyone has flaws and no one is perfect.
Devyn, random statement for the future, I would try and put spaces in between each paragraph because it makes it easier to read. Just a suggestion for the future. Any who, getting into your blog, you're very right when you mentioned how society considers people who always tell the truth, outcasts. It's strange to think that telling the truth can make one be considered strange and unusual. There are probably an equal number of people who would like to be given constructive criticism as those who wouldn't like it. A concept that I find hard to grasp is why or how someone could fix a flaw they don't know they have. Celimene is a very flirtatious woman and I think you described that irony very well. I never really considered it cheating because she wasn't committed to any one, but it makes sense now. She likes to fool around and flirt with many men instead of committing to one. The audience knows this, but the suitors don't. It's because of this that the irony adds humor into the play. I found many points in your blog unique and fascinating. Good work!
DeleteDevyn,
DeleteI really liked how you detailed a few of the characters and pointed out the satire Moliere produced through them. All of the distinct qualities of the characters play off of each other to enhance the irony and ridicule. I also thought your description of Celimene's character was on point. Her flirty behavior, I thought, allowed the reader to recognize how hypocritical Alceste was. He was totally opposed to anyone who didn't follow high standards he set, yet he was breaking them by being with a woman of such popularity amongst the men. Philinte was another character that you described well, especially when you called him the Jiminy Cricket to Alceste's Pinocchio. I never thought of it that way, but I am glad you gave me a new perspective on his character. Overall, this was a wonderful blog, Devyn!
Jean Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Moliere, was arguably one of the best play writes, and it is often said that he himself is somewhat of a a French Shakespeare, filling their culture with his writings of satirical and comedic plays. Throughout his days, Moliere has written a numerous amount of plays and sonnets, with “The Misanthrope” being a popular play, read and studied today. Not only did Moliere write these plays, but it is also known that he was an actor and would participate in his own plays. While Moliere came from a prestigious family, his father owning a furniture business, Moliere decided to go in a different direction and focus his education on social comedics, which proves to be beneficial to his writings.
ReplyDeleteIn order to view “The Misanthrope” as a satire, It is necessary to know what exactly satire is. The dictionary defines satire as “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.” With satire explained, it is easier to see that “The Misanthrope” was satirically written. This play is dramatically filled with petty problems, tying mockery, irony, and humor into the plot of the story as well as the characters themselves. One of my favorite moments in the entire play was so sarcastically written on the bottom of page 1395, I couldn't help but laugh. Clitandre and Acaste were in an argument when Clitandre remarked “You’re blind, dear fellow. This is sheer dellusion.” (50) Acaste seems as if he doesn’t want to fight and simply replies “All right, then: I’m deluded and I’m blind.” (51) Clitandre pressed on, “Whatever put that notion in your mind?” (52) Acaste’s simple response was so ironic, so mocking that I had to laugh. His one word answer mimicked Clitandre’s original attack at him, “Delusion.” (53)
I found the conversation between Acaste and Clitandre to be a good example of the satire that continues on throughout the play. In this small passage, I believe that it hold all of the qualities explained such as humor, exaggeration, irony, and ridicule as well as the exposition and criticism of both the characters stupidity and vices. Both characters, Acaste and Clitandre, were unknowing and ignorant to the true place of the ladies love, as they both thought they held her heart, with their pride leading them so confidently to believe this. The words they said led to their own exposure as well as the criticism of eachother, as Acaste specifically called Clitandre blind and delusional. His insults are a form of ridicule, due to the fact that they are insults, while they are also a form of irony as literally, Clitandre is neither blind nor delusional. The irony comes into play with the realization that their lady, Celimene, does not love wither one of them. Their back and forth bickering serves as the source of humor, with the witty remarks holding comedic qualities as well.
It amazes me that within such few lines, so many qualities can be found. The excerpt I explained is nothing but just one of the many examples that can be found within the play as Moliere filled every character and every page with satirical and comedic qualities. The majority of the situations, such as the conversation explained, remain to be comedic as they are relatable, understandable, and relevant to the “struggles” of today. Moliere wrote multiple plays and multiple satires, and “The Misanthrope” is one of his best.
Felicia,
DeleteI appreciate how you provided the definition of a satire and then continued to explain how Moliere used it in “The Misanthrope.” But my favorite part of your entire blog was when you talked about the sarcastic exchange between Clitandre and Acaste. I don’t know why, but during that scene Acaste reminded me of Hamlet early on in the play when he is playfully arguing with his old college friends. Like Acaste he sort of plays along just to mock them. Anyway, when you went on to explain the purpose of that specific passage in the play and the qualities it expresses I was impressed. You literally picked one passage and used it to show a majority of the satirical qualities Moliere used in “The Misanthrope.” One of the things I do think you missed, however, was the irony of the words “blind and delusional” because, when it came down to it, both men were blind about Celimene’s treachery and delusional to think she actually loved them. Poor fellows had no idea what was going on. Your final paragraph really summed up your blog and yes, a few short lines were absolutely perfect for capturing the spirit and satire of the play. Great job as always!
Felicia, I really liked your blog. The fact that you weren't afraid to say stuff such as "petty" to describe the events help to show you understand the play on a much deeper level than if you were to just read it for fun and not look further into all the incredible uses of satire throughout the entire piece. I also elaborates on the conversation between Clitandre and Alceste. I couldn't agree more with what you said. It was almost as if the two characters were blind to their own mistakes because they were too focused on the flaws of other people. I never really thought of the comments about him being blind could also be used as types of irony. I'm really glad you pointed that out though because now as I look back I see a lot more forms of irony. I applaud you for relating a play written so long ago to the struggles of today's society. It was my favorite part. Good work!
DeleteFelicia,
DeleteAs always, your unique perspective on our blog topics brings a very interesting and throught provoking subject to the table in a manner that challenges me. First, I think it was interesting how you chose to focus on only one part of the play instead of focusing on its entirety. However, I think this really worked in your favor! This whole interaction between Acaste and Clitandre was one of my favorite parts. It was so amusing and I remember having to put my book down to contain myself after wanting to laugh quite loudly and innappropriately at the amount of sass contained in this passage. The way you analyzed it was very insightful, and I like your inputs. This was a well put together blog and I enjoyed the entire thing, I just wish I could've seen your perspective on more parts of it! But altogether, great job!
Moliere’s “The Misanthrope” may address some serious issues in society but it is still considered a great satire. A satire is any literary work that makes fun of something through methods such as irony and exaggeration. “The Misanthrope” has some of the most important elements of a satire including ridicule and irony, especially in the cases of Alceste and Celimene. The play also shows exaggeration when it comes to the views and attitudes of several of the characters. It is most apparent between Alceste and Philinte who have oppositely extreme views.
ReplyDeleteAlceste was a point of ridicule amongst his peers because of his overstated honesty. He was often criticized and seen as a spoil sport. Acaste and Clitandre, in particular, make fun of Alceste when he scorns them and Celimene for speaking about people whom they pretend to like in person behind their backs. The ridicule spreads beyond the character of Alceste, though, because “The Misanthrope” as a whole pokes fun at the twisted way society is today. Philinte provides the clearest view of society because he acknowledges the problem, although he is not willing to do anything about it. He, as well as Alceste, knows that the false flattery that people offer each other in person is only used for social advancement and that, behind closed doors, mostly everyone is offended eventually. Alceste, however, has the tendency to ridicule people to their face, even if he does so in an evasive and round-about way. He shows this during his encounter with Oronte. When Oronte reads his poetry to Alceste and Philinte, Philinte praises it even though it is not the best. Alceste, on the other hand, tells Oronte about a “friend” who once wrote poetry and how Alceste told the friend to not pursue it because he did not need to. He eventually comes around to telling Oronte that he did not like it at all and that he should make no further attempts to write. So which method was better? Was Philinte right to offer false praise or was Alceste right to offend Oronte entirely with his beat-around-the-bush honesty?
Although Philinte and Alceste see the same problem in the nature of mankind, they approach it differently. Philinte is content to let it be because he believes that no man can change the way all other men are. Alceste, on the other hand, tries to use his overwhelming honesty to balance out the lies that are in constant circulation around him. Neither man will ever achieve much through their means of action, or inaction, but the polar opposite views serve to exaggerate each other. In the presence of one another, each man seems even more extreme. That is way Philinte was a more suitable match for Eliante in the end. Eliante is not one to lie to people just to please them, but she understands that several people operate that way. Her difference from Alceste is best shown when Alceste says that a lover criticizes his love to better them and Eliante argues that a true lover sees each of their loves flaws as an endearing quality.
The irony of “The Misanthrope” is in the lack of relationships that occur at the end of the play. What I mean is, the combination of Philinte and Eliante was hinted at early on but the reader also thought that Celimene and Alceste would end up with someone if not each other. It was obvious that they were too different to stay together, but both Celimene and Alceste had multiple people who supposedly loved them. However, it was because of Celimene’s flirtatious and fake nature that she drove away all of her suitors, including Alceste. For Alceste, his love of Celimene ruined him because he could not come to love another woman in his broken state after Celimene’s treachery against him and the other suitors.
Ann,
DeleteYour blog was well supported. I loved it. You obviously put a lot of thought into this blog. After finishing the third paragraph, I realized something I never saw before. Éliante is the central point of Alceste and Philinte's views. She believes in honesty, kindness, and change. It is encouraging to know that at least one character is able to balance the world out. I noticed you also mentioned how Éliante believes that lovers are supposed to love each other's flaws. I think we have all heard this at one point in our life, and I love that Moliere incorporates it into The Misanthrope. There is not much loving of people AND their flaws in this play. Everyone seems to love each other for money, power, or beauty. I enjoy that you mentioned that. Awesome job!
Ann,
DeleteAs always, your blog has raised ultimately more questions than it answered. But not in a bad way! It makes me think even more intensely about the points you bring up, and I love that about your blogs. Particularly, I love how you expounded on the effects of the faults of Célimène and Alceste in your last paragraph. This was excellently stated and very insightful. And, as Kaitlin said, it was very interesting to read your third paragraph and have the revelation about Eliante and her central position in the play. This was very well done, just like always. Good work!
I may be alone in saying this, but I did not enjoy The Misanthrope as much as everyone else did. It was a great play that led up to the expectations critics gave it, but I had a really difficult time just getting into the play San being able to keep reading it. However, after all of the discussions we had in class, I found to be enjoying the play a lot more. Even though Alceste is the misanthrope, I found myself being drawn to him.
ReplyDeleteAlceste was an incredibly negative person who also liked to be brutally honest. He very often makes things seem worse than they actually are by exaggerating other's flaws. Alceste is correct in pointing out other's flaws, except, not everyone wants their flaws pointed out. If they would like to know their faults, most do not want them expressed as brutally as Alceste expressed them. It is obvious why he is so honest; he doesn't care about what others think because he doesn't like people. He is more than willing to say whatever he wants without thinking. This is his major flaw.
One of the biggest definitions of satire in the play is in the conversation between Clitandre and Alceste. It's not a very long conversation, but it expresses the strongest example of satire because it is full of humor, exaggeration, and criticism. Alceste calls Clitandre "blind". This hit me as something sort of strange. They both ridicule the other and don't realize that they actually need to take a step back from critiquing each other and look at their own flaws.
Although I wasn't a huge fan of The Misanthrope, I was able to find more enjoyment in the uses of satire. The characters were interesting and most contested or accented another. Philanthropy balanced out the negativity and brutality of Alceste. The contrast between the two of them adds to the satire of the entire play. I'm still not a huge fan of The Misanthrope I am glad I had the experience of reading it and furthering my knowledge of satire and its uses.
Jessica,
DeleteLet me just start out by agreeing that I didn't necessarily like The Misanthrope(not for the same reasons but close). Alceste is definitely a very honest character, that points out people's flaws. No one personally wants their flaws pointed out, but sometimes it could be a good thing. Speaking as an athlete(which all of us are in someway) we build our skills off constructive criticism, no matter how brutally honest it is. Back to the blog, it is evident within the first few pages that Alceste likes no one at all. Him being this brutally honest is what gives this play the comedy that it needs to liven up the serious accusations of Alceste. I completely agree with your third paragraph, and well done.
Satire can sometimes be hard to recognize in a piece of literature. But when it is found, the work can be seen as something unexpected yet well-liked. For example, Moliere's "The Misanthrope" details the characterizing traits of people then and now. He easily satirized the high society of the French during the 17th Century and of the excuses of the society in power. He also uses irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to point out the flaws in human society in the stock characters he created. Each of the characters in the play emphasize on a flawed trait found in people of the French society.
ReplyDeleteThe main character of "The Misanthrope" is Alceste. His attitude and honesty towards peoples are his major flaws. He exaggerates how awful it is to save someone's feelings by simply accepting their flaws. The stock characteristic of Alceste are actually inconsistent between his actions and his feelings. For example, he wants a socially acceptable love affair with Celimene, yet he begs her to leave Paris and its government when things don't end the way he wants them to. Despite Alceste's extreme self-confidence and pride, he is often ridiculed by those around him, including his best mate, Philinte. For example, Philinte was quick to call Alceste a crank when he dismissed Philinte's philosophy. Celimene and her friends, Acaste and Clitandre, make fun of Alceste behind his back even though he is currently Celimene's main love interest. Throughout the entire play, characters ridicule others just like Celimene and her friends do to Alceste.
Irony is a huge part of the ridicule going on in "The Misanthrope." I found it ironic that Philinte, who constantly reminded Alceste that Eliante would be the perfect girl for him, yet he was the one who landed the relationship. It was also ironic that Alceste, who often called people hypocrites, was actually the real hypocrite in the play, but he never considered himself that because he was too full of himself. I honestly thought the most ironic portion of "The Misanthrope" was how Alceste made it clear that he wanted a socially acceptable relationship, but he chose Celimene, who was involved with several men at a time and was a complete tease. Alceste was blinded by her beauty, something he would most likely criticize about someone else.
Moliere was certainly a smart cookie when it came to satire in his plays. The infatuation and human flaws he portrayed in "The Misanthrope" really emphasizes the poor qualities of the French society during the 17th Century. "The Misanthrope" is probably my favorite play so far this year, and I believe that the satire utilized in the characters and the plot really aided in to my opinion.
Natalie,
DeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog this week. Alceste's attitude and honesty towards people are not his only flaws, he also fails to acknowledge his own flaws. Which can be interpreted into a bully like situation, someone ignoring their own flaws in order to bring down others into a depressed state. When you go back and look at your examples that were provided for Philinte and Alceste, I see two "friends" that balance each other out. These two characters appear to look at things in the opposite perspectives, with slight gray areas. Hence the reason for Philinte calling Alceste a "crank". I feel that your irony examples were spot on and well evaluated. Those examples are the factors that make this play a comedy in my opinion. Just imagine what Moliere could say about today's society and the play concepts he could make up with his mastery of satire.
Natalie,
DeleteI really enjoyed your blog! I thought it was well thought out, and you had very good example to support your thoughts. What catches my attention the most is when you mention that Célimène is a tease. I think the definition of a "tease" gets confused a lot. As I was reading The Misanthrope, i did not know how to feel about Célimène and Alceste's relationship. After much thought, I realized that I did not see Célimène or Alceste ending up together. I had this feeling that she never really liked him, but at the same time she was not going to shut him out. What if he was the one she chose? She would have missed out! I was watching a movie today, and the main character asked something along the lines of "So it's okay for men to act terrible, but not women?" This quote fits well in this situation. Is it really okay for Alceste to demand such things from Célimène, but she is not allowed to keep her options open because she does not truly love him? Like I said in my blog, I think Célimène used Alceste's words against him as an excuse to get away from him. That was what stood out to me the most. Your blog had more information that helped me understand the play from a different perspective. Great job!
Moliere's The Misanthrope is commonly known as a satire. I did not laugh with this play, but I found it ironic many times throughout reading it. The main character Alceste opens the play up with an argument about mankind's greatest downfall being hypocrisy. He is a very strong believer that this flaw needs to be changed. Philinste disagrees with Alceste saying that flaws need to be accepted because they cannot be changed. Each character exaggerates their point of view to represent how close minded they are. This is the start to many conflicts throughout the play.
ReplyDeleteAlceste has strong feelings for Célimène, a flirtatious woman. He says he loves her, but he expects so much from her that she refuses his offer to wed him at the end of the play. The real question is if Célimène refuses his offer because Alceste expects too much of her or if she wants to test her options out. She says it is due to his demanding request to run away with him. I believe she uses his request as an excuse to get out of the messy situation. Alceste expects Célimène to do what he asks. It is strange to watch Célimène flirt with various suitors while telling Alceste "maybe" continuously. It drove me nuts reading about how Célimène was treating Alceste. Her cruelty shows her true colors, and sends Alceste off depressed.
Philinte is chasing Célimène as well. He never makes a move because he knows Alceste is open about his feelings for Célimène. Although, Philinte is not really chasing Célimène because he likes her; he is following the crowd. He finds love with Éliante. Éliante, like Philinte, is respectful and has a greater understanding of human behavior than other characters do. She chases after Alceste like Philinte chases after Célimène. It is ironic to see the two make the same decisions. She says some humorous things about men who are in love, as well. I like to see her as the comic relief in all the seriousness of this satire.
These are not the only characters who support the definition of satire. One of my favorite characters Oronte is a jerk. He tells Alceste that he wants he wants his true opinion on his sonnet. When Alceste gives him the brutal truth he gets offended. I find it hilarious and irritating due to my own experience with people like Oronte. It frustrates me, but at the same time I find it funny that someone else has to deal with that kind of person. Another character that I like is Arsinoé. She is an older, unattractive woman that loves to gossip. She struggles with finding men to love her, particularly Alceste. She is unhappy, and I feel bad for her. She just wants to be loved for who she is. That is why she is rude to Célimène. Célimène has what Arsinoé will never receive. To make it worse, Célimène throws Alceste's love out the window.
The Misanthrope qualifies as a satire due to these characters personalities. Although the this play was not "haha" funny, it was funny in a different way. The characters' actions are how humans really act; this is supposed to help improve our own person. This play is the perfect example of a satire by just examining the characters. The places and situations each character is placed in also helps to further the plays point, and the fact that it is a satire. Moliere uses comedy to create a story that everyone is able to connect with.
Kaitlin,
DeleteLovely blog! Your writing drew me in from the very beginning. In your opening paragraph you mentioned on how everyone was so straightforward with their way of thinking, making them close minded. I never paid attention to that before! It is so true, because everyone is hypocrite. They all want the other to think exactly as they do. I hadn't really put that together until reading your blog. You also provided great examples involving the characters and their personalities. Although I did laugh out loud once, I thought it was very important how you added in the end of your blog that while this play was funny, it wasn't necessarily the type of funny that one is supposed to laugh along with. Great blog!
Kaitlin,
DeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog! I thought it was genius to mention the different conflicts in the play that coincided with the irony and ridicule of satire. I also liked how you mentioned that the way Celimene treated Alceste drove you nuts. I was also going a little crazy with that whole concept, especially since Alceste appeared to truly love her. You said that Philinte was also chasing Celimene, something I didn't pick up on, but it is certainly a good theory. Maybe that was why he kept insisting Alceste that Eliante was the right girl for him rather than Celimene. Whatever the case, there was definitely a lot of infatuation going on. I was glad to see you mentioned Oronte, as well. I sort of forgot about him, but he certainly plays a part in the satire. Overall, this was an excellent blog with thought provoking statements. Well done!
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ReplyDeleteYour blog was well supported.
ReplyDelete