Article Analysis: Moliere and The Misanthrope by Seymour Rudin - Essay Example

According to Rudin, the argument that Rousseau put forward indicated the ineptness of the critique of the protagonist so much so that he appeared to be, in the end, at one with the very society that he was critiquing.

Apart from this, he appeared to be, right from the beginning, a caricature of an extreme form of idealism that was the subject of the comedy that the audience is supposed to laugh at. The Comedy of Manners is something that he becomes a part of through the laughter that he evokes (Rudin, 311). There are, however, according to Rudin, devices, in the form of characters and otherwise, that Moliere employs to make the play a critique of both the society and the protagonist. Through these devices, the author can propose a middle path that would lead to a society that could then probably not be as dishonest and materialistic as the one that the play talks about.

The foils in the play, Philinte and Eliante are two devices that the playwright uses to show how it is possible to lead a life that is not entirely at odds with the society but also by certain rules of it. Eliante leads a life that is unacceptable to the protagonist, Alceste. However, he is in love with her and this love reveals an opportunity for his move back to society (Rudin, 312). Rudin points to the fact that for different eras, the way Alceste is perceived has been different and for the people of Moliere’s era, he was looked upon as a funny caricature while he was looked at as a hero who fought against the entire world of vice, by the Romantics (like Rousseau).

He advocates a mixed response that may be possible for contemporary critics and viewers of the play who may see in the idealistic stubbornness of Alceste the power to stand up to a corrupt society and at the same time, also realize that the path that one needs to take is not that of complete renunciation and withdrawal (Rudin, 311-3)