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''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' ((フランス語:Le Misanthrope ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux); (:lə mizɑ̃tʁɔp u latʁabilɛːʁ amuʁø)) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by the King's Players.〔(''The Misanthrope and Other Plays by Molière'' ), Donald M. Frame〕 The play satirizes the hypocrisies of French aristocratic society, but it also engages a more serious tone when pointing out the flaws which all humans possess. The play differs from other farces at the time by employing dynamic characters like Alceste and Célimène as opposed to the traditionally flat characters used by most satirists to criticize problems in society. It also differs from most of Molière's other works by focusing more on character development and nuances than on plot progression. The play, though not a commercial success in its time, survives as Molière's best known work today. Because both ''Tartuffe'' and ''Dom Juan'', two of Molière's previous plays, had already been banned by the French government, Molière may have subdued his actual ideas to make his play more socially acceptable. As a result, there is much uncertainty about whether the main character Alceste is supposed to be perceived as a hero for his strong standards of honesty or whether he is supposed to be perceived as a fool for having such idealistic and unrealistic views about society. Molière has received much criticism for ''The Misanthrope.'' The French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, claimed in his Letter to M. D'Alembert on Spectacles that it was Molière's best work, but hated the fact that Alceste was depicted as a fool on stage. He believed that the audience should be supporting Alceste and his views about society rather than disregarding his idealistic notions and belittling him as a character. ==Characters== ; Alceste : The protagonist and "misanthrope" of the title. He is quick to criticize the flaws of everyone around him, including himself. He cannot help but love Célimène though he loathes her behaviour. ; Célimène : A young woman who is courted by Alceste, Oronte, Acaste, and Clitandre. She is playful and flirtatious, and likes to point out the flaws of everyone she meets behind their backs. Célimène pays much attention to social appearances. ; Philinte : A polite man who genuinely cares for Alceste, and recognizes the importance of occasionally veiling one's true opinions in a social context. He is mainly thought of as Alceste's foil. ; Acaste : A young, pompous marquis who believes he is deserving of Célimène's love. ; Oronte : An outgoing, seemingly confident man who also loves Célimène for a time. His insecurity is revealed when he is unable to handle Alceste's criticism of his love sonnet. ; Arsinoé : A highly moralistic older woman who is jealous of the attentions which Alceste pours onto Célimène. ; Éliante : Love interest to Philinte and cousin to Célimène, who initially pines for Alceste. She possesses a good balance between societal conformity and individual expression. ; Clitandre : Another marquis who attempts to woo Célimène and win her love, and enjoys gossiping with her about notable social figures. ; Basque : Célimène's loyal manservant. ; Du Bois : Alceste's farcically blundering manservant. ; Guard : A messenger of the Marshals of France who asks Alceste to answer for his criticism of Oronte's poetry. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Misanthrope」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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