The value of society in The Misanthrope and The importance of being Earnest - Essay Example

Through such ridicule, each play is able to entertain the upper classes, define some of the values of their society and illustrate where each begins to negate the benefits of such conventions. The characters in “The Misanthrope” appear almost more like caricatures than like real people. Each one of the minor characters remain fundamentally superficial, concerned more with the importance of manners than with the importance of honesty. The various marquises prove to be more silly than serious and the pompous Oronte has convinced himself that he is a paramount writer, demanding praises from his friends and acquaintances regardless of their true opinions of his verses and even going so far as to sue Alceste for not providing this.

“Célimène is a manipulative coquette with a sarcastic tongue and a cold heart. Philinte seems a rather neutral character who … is a piece of dramatic structure thrown in simply to be Alceste’s confidant. Éliante is even less defined” (Hubeart, 1996). However, Alceste, as the title implies, is completely opposite these individuals, going to the extremes to try to tear off the masks of hypocrisy, hidden under a veneer of manners that he sees about him everywhere he looks. The women are especially emblematic of the types of hypocrisy against which Alceste struggles.

Arsinoe emerges as a frustrated old woman, jealous of the younger woman’s status and ability to flaunt custom, but is not herself brave enough to bypass the strict code of manners and accepted behavior to capture the one thing she wants, Alceste’s love. When she chastises Célimène for her shocking behavior and gossip, Célimène tells her “There’s a season for love and another for prudishness, and we may consciously choose the latter when the hey-day of our youth has passed—it may serve to conceal some of life’s disappointments” (Act III, scene iv).

In this speech,