The Misanthrope
by Molière · Le Misanthrope
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1666
- Form
- Comedy
- Language
- French
- Length
- Short · 100 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Misanthrope, translated by Richard WilburHarcourt, 1955Wilbur's couplets are the version most anthologies and programs use.
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Alceste despises the flattery and small lies that hold Parisian society together and insists on saying exactly what he thinks, which loses him a lawsuit and most of his friends. He is nonetheless in love with Célimène, a young widow whose wit and pleasure in admirers embody everything he condemns. Over a single day of visits, quarrels and intercepted letters he demands that she leave society with him; she refuses, and he walks out alone. The play leaves open whether Alceste is a hero of honesty or a comic fool.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Misanthrope are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.