A Strange Friendship

In Moliére’s play The Misanthrope, he writes a story in a French society about a man who flatters everyone one and another man who is very blunt. They have a strange friendship, but they are best friends. Alceste is the protagonist of this play and is very rude to everyone he encounters. Philinte, on the other hand, is kind to everyone and understands that people have flaws and makes mistakes. They somehow manage to have a friendship even though they both have two very distinct personalities that are polar opposite from each other. It doesn’t make much sense as to why Philinte would be best friends with someone who is as rude to people as Alceste is. Alceste doesn’t deserve a friend like Philinte, who is always there for him and who is such a nice person to everyone. Alceste treats him so poorly for trying to help him learn how to not hate people for their flaws and mistakes. 

Alceste frequently tells other people they are wrong. He lectures people about the importance and value of honesty. Moliére writes, “Ah, no! We should condemn with all our force / Such false and artificial intercourse. Let men behave like men; let them display / Their inmost hearts in everything they say; / Let the heart speak, and let our sentiments / Not mask themselves in silly compliments.” (Moliére 19). Alceste thinks the human race as a whole is completely fake to others. He hates people who act corrupt and people who let them. He doesn’t believe in sparing someone's feelings. Hating people for doing horrible things is understandable, because horrible things are well… horrible, but hating someone for trying to spare someone else’s feelings causes impairment to the soul. His reasoning to hate people is the worst.

I would say Alceste is a hypocrite. He talks so much about the importance of honesty and being real with people but yet he is in love with someone who is not. Celemine is fake. She lies to him about everything, and it seems that she doesn’t even love him, that he is just an option for her. She is Alceste’s weakness, and he would do absolutely anything for her. Alceste knows that she is bad for him, but yet he continues to love her. He says, “My love for that young widow’s not the kind / That can’t be perceive defects; no, I’m not blind. / I see her faults, despite my ardent love, and all I see fervently reprove. / And yet I’m weak; for all her falsity, That woman knows the art of pleasing me, / And though I never cease complaining of her, / I swear I cannot manage not to love her. / Her charm outweighs her faults; I can but aim to cleanse her spirit in my love’s pure flame.” (Moliére 28). Alceste says you can’t determine who you love. He says, “True, true: each day my reason tells me so; But reason doesn’t rule in love, you know.” (Moliére 29). He knows that she has faults because she is human but yet he still chooses to love her. Why can he not do that with every other person in the world? He would be a much happier person if he chose to love them instead of hate them. At the end of the day, every single person has their own faults and they make mistakes, so why should he get to pick and choose who he hates for them? 

Philinte tries to tell Alceste that no one takes him seriously or likes him because of how blunt he is with people. He says, “The world won’t change, whatever you say or do; / And since plain speaking means so much to you, / I’ll tell you plainly that by being frank / You’ve earned the reputation of a crank.” (Moliére 21). Philinte is the absolute opposite from Alceste and is the voice of reason. He says to Alceste, “This philosophic rage is a bit extreme; You’ve no idea how comical you seem.” (Moliére 20). Philinte finds the good in people and understands that everyone deserves to be loved and not hated. He accepts that people are flawed and he forgives them for it. He gives Alceste a lot of advice to help him out, but he doesn’t really listen to him. Philinte says, “But in polite society, custom decrees / That we show certain outward courtesies…” (Moliére 18). Philinte tries to reason with Alceste to not be as rude to people and to be polite to others. 

The friendship between Alceste and Philinte is strange, but it works. Philinte does whatever is best for Alceste and tries to help him. However, Alceste doesn’t listen to him, he can not go without him. The relationship between the two is an important role in this play. It shows that Alceste can have a normal relationship with people. It teaches him how to be friends with other people. Alceste’s relationship with Philinte moves him towards a possibility of a relationship with other people and not away from it. Philinte wants to help bring his friend in contact with other people other than just hating on them. He believes Alceste can have a better relationship with people if he can just learn to be kinder and accept people for who they are.