Molière: Le Misanthrope

Molière author Jonathan Mallinson editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:1st Jan '98

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Molière: Le Misanthrope cover

This critical introduction examines the comedy, the history of its reception of this classic French play.

A critical edition of "Le Misanthrope". The introduction examines the interlocking levels of comedy apparent both in the play's literary texture and in the original performance, and discusses the history of its reception, showing how it is constantly adapted to the values of changing times.Widely regarded as Moliere’s masterpiece, Le Misanthrope has nevertheless unsettled audiences and critics for the time of its publication in 166. Moving away from traditional models of comedy where characters have an unambiguous function it focuses on the figure of the misanthrope whose role is challengingly double – his unsparing social critique suggests both the incisiveness of the satirist and the bad humour of the misfit. In its representation of a society where no character has absolute authority the comedy involves the audience in a serious reconsideration of its own values and assumptions. This new edition explores Le Misanthrope as a text and play. In his introduction, Jonathan Mallinson examines the interlocking levels of comedy apparently both in the play’s literary texture and in the original performance. It then discusses the history of its reception and shows how the play has been constantly adapted to the different moral social or aesthetic values of changing times. A detailed critical commentary offers another method of reading the text, analysing the sophistication of Moliere’s comic writing and the theatrical possibiltieis it embodies.

Altogether this is an impressive contribution to Moliere studies. -- French Studies
The analysis that supports his interpretation might held up as a model of close textual reading. -- Modern Language review

ISBN: 9781853993923

Dimensions: 216mm x 135mm x 11mm

Weight: 256g

168 pages

New edition