The Misanthrope

Summary: In this seventeenth-century play, Alceste gets into trouble when he refuses to engage in dishonest flattery and instead insists upon brutal honesty. Despite this rejection of the flattery that is part of his society’s norms, he harbors romantic feelings for the frivolous Célimène. This play chronicles the comedic interactions between Alceste and the other characters and raises questions about the value and place of societal norms and of honesty.