Le Misanthrope

Over the course of a complicated day, Alceste seeks proof from Célimène that she loves him. How could Alceste, who loves only truth, sincerity and uprightness, who is rigidity made man, fall in love with Célimène, who represents everything he hates: hypocrisy, levity, persiflage, appearances? Yet he has fallen for the young widow's charms, and would like her to devote herself solely to him, to give up the worldliness he so detests. Of course, she has no intention of doing so, and that's the whole point of the play. Le Misanthrope is all about the pleasure of precise, refined language, brought to its peak by Molière's versification. The play is still a comedy, but a gritty one, which breaks down masks and paints a vivid picture of human nature.