Theatrical walks (6/6)
Le Regard Libre N° 19 - Loris S. Musumeci
«ALCESTE. I want one to be a man, and that in every encounter
The depths of our hearts show in our speeches
Let him do the talking, and let our feelings
Never hide behind vain compliments.»
It would have been a shame not to find a place for the inimitable Molière in at least one of the episodes devoted to the art of theater. So here I am with The Misanthrope, a masterpiece presented at the court of the good King Louis in 1666. But what a strange play! We don't know whether to laugh or to worry. The elements of ridicule are carefully blurred, to make way for more serious questions, such as the measure of honesty, the value of friendship and proper social behavior.
It seems superfluous to recount the plot of Molière's great classic over and over, again and again. For those who have forgotten something from their school days, The Misanthrope tells the story of a true misanthrope, in thought and deed: Alceste. Alceste lives in a society more worldly than society itself, where the cute, respectful compliment still has its place, where betrayal is a custom, backbiting a game and smiling a mask.
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