MISANTHROPE, THE

by Moliere

Outraged and disheartened by the vain flattery and calculated duplicity of his fellow men, Alceste declares that henceforth he will speak only the truth, no matter what offence this might herald. His philosophic friend, Philinte, counsels him to temper his rashness, but Alceste claims that he can no longer tolerate the convention of saying one thing to a person’s face and another behind his back. Alceste’s romantic entanglements only serve to complicate the situation further. Ultimately, Alceste self-righteously declares he will renounce the world and seek a place where honesty can still flourish.