Bibliography
Course Hero. "The Misanthrope Study Guide." Course Hero. 25 Oct. 2017. Web. 29 May 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Misanthrope/>.
In text
(Course Hero)
Bibliography
Course Hero. (2017, October 25). The Misanthrope Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved May 29, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Misanthrope/
In text
(Course Hero, 2017)
Bibliography
Course Hero. "The Misanthrope Study Guide." October 25, 2017. Accessed May 29, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Misanthrope/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "The Misanthrope Study Guide," October 25, 2017, accessed May 29, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Misanthrope/.
Alceste and Philinte discuss the nature of sincerity and social harmony.
Act 1, Scene 1Célimène's letters are read, revealing her feelings about her suitors.
Act 5, Scene 4Célimène refuses Alceste's request that she join him in exile, and he rejects her.
Act 5, Scene 7| Scene | Summary |
|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 1 | In the play's opening scene, Alceste and Philinte discuss friendship and sincerity. Alceste is uncompromising in his ins... Read More |
| Act 1, Scene 2 | The play's first scene flows directly into the second with the entrance of the courtier Oronte. Addressing Alceste, he p... Read More |
| Act 1, Scene 3 | Philinte opens this brief scene with a mild reproach to Alceste about the perils of "sincerity in excess." True to type,... Read More |
| Act 2, Scene 1 | Frank and blunt as ever, Alceste reproaches Célimène for her fickle behavior, predicting that their relationship will en... Read More |
| Act 2, Scene 2 | Célimène's servant Basque announces the arrival of Acaste, a young nobleman from the court. Célimène directs Basque to s... Read More |
| Act 2, Scene 3 | Predictably, Alceste reproves Célimène for her all-too-willing consent to admit the courtier Acaste. Célimène replies th... Read More |
| Act 2, Scene 4 | The valet Basque reappears, this time to announce the arrival of Clitandre, another young nobleman from the court. Alces... Read More |
| Act 2, Scene 5 | While chairs are provided for the visiting noblemen, Alceste grimly warns he will not withdraw, as he had threatened in ... Read More |
| Act 2, Scene 6 | In this brief scene, Basque makes his third appearance in the act, announcing that a gentleman in an official uniform ha... Read More |
| Act 2, Scene 7 | The new arrival is a guard attached to the "Marshalsea," a judicial body associated with the court of Louis XIV. The gua... Read More |
| Act 3, Scene 1 | Two noble courtiers, Acaste and Clitandre, discuss their own satisfaction with their lot in life. Acaste pronounces hims... Read More |
| Act 3, Scene 2 | This scene flows directly from Scene 1, with the now familiar run-in technique. Célimène enters to inform Acaste and Cli... Read More |
| Act 3, Scene 3 | Basque plays his familiar role of announcing a new visitor. Arsinoé has arrived to see Célimène. Even before Acaste can ... Read More |
| Act 3, Scene 4 | Once again Molière employs the run-in technique for a brief transitional scene that features the arrival of Arsinoé. She... Read More |
| Act 3, Scene 5 | Like several other scenes in the play, this one begins with an avowal of friendship. Friendship's "flame," declares Arsi... Read More |
| Act 3, Scene 6 | Alceste enters. Célimène tells him that she must send a piece of correspondence before evening, so she will be grateful ... Read More |
| Act 3, Scene 7 | Arsinoé is evidently delighted by the turn that events have taken. She loses no time in pouring out her admiration for A... Read More |
| Act 4, Scene 1 | In a dialogue with Célimène's cousin Éliante, Philinte recounts what happened at Alceste's appearance before the marshal... Read More |
| Act 4, Scene 2 | Alceste bursts in on the scene, exploding with rage and thirsting for vengeance. After several appeals from Éliante for ... Read More |
| Act 4, Scene 3 | In the showdown between Alceste and Célimène, Alceste begins melodramatically by invoking heaven (Ô Ciel!) in an aside. ... Read More |
| Act 4, Scene 4 | Alceste's valet, Monsieur Dubois, enters to convey to his master a cryptic, garbled message. The gist is that Alceste mu... Read More |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | Alceste tells Philinte that Alceste has lost his lawsuit. He is now so outraged, he has decided to withdraw from mankind... Read More |
| Act 5, Scene 2 | Oronte demands that Célimène terminate her relationship with Alceste. When Célimène demurs, Alceste emerges from the cor... Read More |
| Act 5, Scene 3 | Célimène briefly describes her predicament to Éliante and asks her cousin's advice. Éliante replies that her advice will... Read More |
| Act 5, Scene 4 | Acaste, Clitandre, and Arsinoé now join the characters from the previous scene (Célimène, Alceste, Oronte, Philinte, and... Read More |
| Act 5, Scene 5 | Furious and resentful, Oronte denounces Célimène for her betrayal. As he departs, he tells Alceste that he (Oronte) will... Read More |
| Act 5, Scene 6 | Arsinoé now rejoins the fray, reproaching Célimène for her lack of propriety and especially for her unappreciative treat... Read More |
| Act 5, Scene 7 | Alceste now asks Célimène if he can finally be allowed to have his say. Apparently contrite, she admits that she has wro... Read More |
| Act 5, Scene 8 | Alceste ruefully admits to Éliante that his destiny probably does not include marriage. Éliante breaks in to assure him ... Read More |
Have study documents to share about The Misanthrope? Upload them to earn free Course Hero access!