The Misanthrope – Moliere
The Masks We Wear
Moral character types emerged during the latter stages of Greek literature, specifically in the new comedy of Menander; preceded by the creation of Theophrastus’ stock characters, which were based on observation of everyday life. First introduced to audiences in 1666, Moliere staged The Misanthrope in the upper-class salon of Celimene. Essentially, the salon is a microcosm of the royal court. In between duties at Louis XIV’s court, the elite townspeople gathered to converse, trade compliments, exchange insults, and scrutinize one another. French society was defined by courtly norms, which, amusingly were being refined on a constant basis. The Misanthrope, often referred to as not only a comedy of manners, but a comedy of character, as well, was theater that functioned as a reflection of its spectators in order to enact social change.
Moliere based his plays on French farce and commedia dell’arte. Plots of deception interspersed with objective play represented French farce, while commedia dell’arte had set situations, unrehearsed dialogue, and actors in masks representing a specific character type. The combination of the two was perfectly aligned in The Misanthrope as Moliere utilized the stock characters to introduce stylized production and dialogue. By placing the stock characters into a society of his own time with dialogue reflective of his present day circumstances, Moliere created individuality in his characters that allowed comedy to come through the dialogue without such a heavy reliance on the plot. Perhaps Moliere’s biggest achievement is the revelation that human nature has a history.
Moliere gave way to the flawed human being firmly planted in their own world. By portraying life as it actually was, Moliere found comedic truth. In the opening scene, Alceste says, “I expect you to be sincere and as an honorable man never to utter a single word that you don’t really mean.” Immediately, Moliere establishes the character as one with a strict moral code. Philinte rationally argues that the occasional ‘white lie’ prevents constant discourse. Ironically, the more Alceste insists on his colleagues’ perfection, the more he is isolated. The more he is isolated, the more he threatens to isolate himself, and yet the more he longs for the approval of those he seemingly detests. Ultimately, Alceste wants everything he cannot have, and nothing that he can.
While Alceste indicts society for its pretentiousness, he demands the world blindly take his word for his unquestionable morality and ethical standards. Arguably, Alceste’s love for Celimine is a mask for his desire of acceptance by the very world he rebels against constantly. Celimine expertly uses her wit and charm to establish and maintain her standing in this hypocritical world Alceste despises, however she is highly sought after and has many suitors, fully accepted and almost worshiped among her peers. It is imperative that Alceste hide his real motives for his love for Celimine from even himself, as well as others. He must detest her at the same time he loves her in order to warrant his behavior. Essentially, Alceste's mask is one in which he has achieved a higher level of emotion than any of his associates could ever attain because their mean-spirited calculated behavior withdraws them from the perfect freedom Alceste believes only exists in a world without polite formality.
Alceste's absolutes are essentially relative in that the masks he wears prevent him from what he truly seeks, the esteem of others. Perhaps, Alceste's insistence for his peers’ sincerity is not because he truly believes them to be insincere, but rather that he desperately desires that what they say be sincere. Consequently, while Celemine’s wittiness and speech allow her to conform to the hypocrisy of the society, her skill in this regard leads to her downfall and eventual rejection by every suitor, with the exception of Alceste, who asks her to join him in isolation. Ultimately, Moliere suggests that balancing human flaws with strong moral standards is acceptable by rewarding Philinte with the only prosperous relationship in the end.
Ironically, Moliere played the character Alceste and many historians believe he was the misanthrope. Moliere’s assumed hatred for humanity is not hard to believe considering his numerous enemies and misfortunes. There was the rumor his wife, Armande Bejart whom he believed to be the sister of his former mistress, when in fact, she was her illegitimate daughter and some believe his daughter as well. On top of that, Armande’s infidelities were well documented by Moliere, most notably in, The School for Wives; and then there was his brief stint in prison for debt. Among Moliere’s enemies were the Jansenists, Jean Racine and many others, all of whom took part in or caused the aforementioned misfortunes in Moliere’s life. Born the eldest child, educated at the Jesuit College of Clermont, Moliere was a prosperous upholsterer with connections to the French court and eventually studied law, and became a notary in 1641. Moliere’s eventual decision to become an actor caused him to lose his social standing, security and affluence. Coincidentally, it was during the most trying times of his life that he produced his greatest works.
In conclusion, the simplistic plot of The Misanthrope reveals complex human beings playing without physical masks representative of a universal character type. Scientific literature suggests that the wearing of a mask brings certain psychological effects including disinhibition, transformation and facilitation of the expression of aspects of the wearer’s self (Cooper, 1999). Moliere invites us into the minds and lives of the foolish, plays on the belief that good conquers evil and ultimately exposes the reality that the triumph is achieved by the smallest imaginable margin, and therein lays comedic expression.

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This article was a perfect bridge between art and science. Once I decided to change my topic focus this was the main scientific article that supported my thesis.
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