Moliere the Misanthrope

The Misanthrope Molieres play The Misanthrope is a comedy that represents social satire, satirizing the conventions of the society which Moliere lived in and observed. Perhaps the character of Alceste outmatch demonstrates the elements of comedy and tragedy that co-exist in Molieres play. Alceste, after all, realizes his jealous nature makes him a comic figure. In fact, humankinds tragedy as expressed by Moliere is that it cannot admit how funny, insincere, and ironic most of its actions and views are.Because of this, Molieres play is much 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 great love for but then reverses his position the minute they are gone. As Alceste tells him, Once the mans back is turned, you cease to love hi m, / And speak with absolute indifference of him By God, I say its base 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). While the above manipulation of ones fellow man may seem sad, Moliere seems to be suggesting in a tragicomical way that all humans are often guilty of such behavior. In fact, it is Alcestes failures to be intimate his own foibles that makes him so comical and his reaction to others hypocritical. Alceste is indignant and beliefless with others like Oronte, who writes a poem roughly his beloved Celimene.He fails to realize his jealousy 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 hard on all those or so 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 humo r 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 approved of all I did, / And by their slack mildness and applause / Endorsed my follies and excused my flaws (Moliere 68).In essence, Alceste endorses his own follies and excuses his own flaws. In conclusion, though there are definitely tragic elements that co-exist with the satire and comedy in Molieres The Misanthrope, overall the play is much more of a uproarious and funny comedy than it is tragic. Though lack of insight and self-perception may be a tragic contour of humankind, Moliere sees much more humor and comedy stemming from it.Work Cited Moliere, Jean Baptiste. The Misanthrope and Tartuffe. New York Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1965.