MISANTHROPE, Le, le mezaietrop', a comedy of Moliere in five acts in verse, pre sented for the first time in the Theatre of the Palais-Royal, 4 June 1666, when the author was 44 years old. Moliere played the title-role and his wife the part of Celimene. This play, which is Moliere's nearest approach to tragedy, concerns one Alceste, who rails at the insin cerity of mankind and yet is in love with a coquette, Celimene —a stroke which art is in capable of without genius. Alceste excites at once our admiration, pity and laughter. An upright and sincere man even to an unreason able degree, he is made miserable by a letter of Celimene which seems to justify his right eous indignation. Notwithstanding that these fears seem to be well founded, Alceste remains in love with Celimene, but wishes her to with draw with him from human society— which she of course refuses to do. The splendid emptiness of the life in a Parisian salon of the 17th century is placed vividly before us. There is no place for a natural and honest character in such society. Everything is artificial, de ceptive and shallow. Moliere's own experience had been so painful that the accent of truth pervades his treatment of the character which so nearly resembled his own. His life, sad dened by hostile criticism, ill-health and an un happy marriage, had become embittered, and some have attempted to prove therefrom that Moliere himself is the real Alceste. It is true that he revealed more of his real self in this play than in any of his other plays, but he was too much of an artist to depict merely his own character. His unhappy domestic life probably did influence him to some extent, but the germ of the play is to be found in his earlier but unsuccessful play, 'Dom Garcie de Navarre' (4 Feb. 1661), from which he borrowed freely both scenes and verses The Duke de Mon tausier, the character of Megabate in Mlle. de Scuderi's 'Le Grand Cyrus> and Boileau may also have been, as has been claimed, in Moliere's mind in.his delineation of Alceste. As a foil for the rigorous Alceste, the author presents us with the indulgent Philinte, who bears with men's faults from the necessity of living among them. So likewise with the coquette is con
trasted the virtuous Eliante. The prude Arsinoi, and the marquis, typical of the large class of nobility whom Moliere suspected of using their influence at court against him, con stitute the other principal characters. Sheri dan has imitated a scene of 'Le Misanthrope> in his 'School for Scandal' and Wycherly has imitated the entire play in his 'Plain Dealer,' but in a comparison between the imitation and the original the difference is seen between genius and brutality. The idea behind 'Le Misanthrope' may perhaps be best rendered in the words of Philinte: "All these human defects give us opportunity in life of exercis ing our philosophy. 'Tis the most amiable em ployment virtue finds; and if every place were full of honesty and all hearts were frank, just and docile, the greatest part of our virtues would be useless to us, since the use of them is placed in this, in the power of bearing the injustice of another in respect to our property, without being ruffled?' From this it is evi dent that Moliere in his characterization does not discredit virtue, as such critics as Rousseau and Fenelon claimed, but merely the austerity of virtue not tolerant enough of human weak ness. Thepublic of the time was not prepared for such a fine distinction and did not appreciate the humor which reigns throughout. Conse quently, in spite of its purity and elegance of style, the play was coldly received. It is said that at the first presentation, after the reading of Orontes sonnet, the pit applauded, but Alceste afterward in the same scene contended that the sonnet was mere trash, whereupon the audience, through embarrassment at having op• proved it, became prejudiced against the entire play. Subsequently, it has become to be almost universally, acknowledged as the most perfect piece of French comedy and the masterpiece of Moliere. There is an extremely clever trans lation of 'Le Misanthrope,' with the French text en regard, in the fourth volume of the works of Moliere published by John Watts (London 1748).