Tuesday, May 20, 2014
The Misanthrope by Moliere
Well, I seem to be having issues uploading pictures lately. Blake has been buying a lot of plays and other works that are classics/well known. I have decided to try and catch up with my literary reading so that I have at least read what the AP English students are/have read. Some are going to be tough to get through and I may not get motivated to read all of them. However, our summer reading program through our local library is allowing adults to participate this year and be entered into a drawing so this may motivate me a bit more. No idea what the prize will be, but I tend to have decent luck winning things and enjoy the pleasure of knowing that I am a winner!
To the review... The Misanthrope is a short play, however, it is not easy to read like some other plays I have recently read, but easier than Dr. Faustus which I tried to start reading today and put it down after the first page. Too much like Shakespeare, which makes sense since Shakespeare was inspired by Marlowe's writing. The actual plot and events of the play are simple and not really entertaining. Just a bunch of discussions between multiple men who are in love with the same woman. Our main character, Alceste, is so in love with Celimene and very jealous of the other suitors. He is also very frank and honest with everyone to the point that many are offended and advise him that he should at least keep his mouth shut at times instead of being so brutal. He actually ends up in court for offending another suitor of Celimene.
I found the interactions between the actors interesting. Each talks openly about the faults of others, but while in their midst they are dear friends. They even have a discussion on how a quiet person can be described as a bore or pure of heart depending on how attracted and fond the other person is of them. Is it better to be completely honest with someone and tell them their poem is horrible, or is it better to come up with some compliment on how the poems rhymes without saying that it really is not that great? How honest should we be with others? This is a great conversation to discuss and has so many possibilities.
To the review... The Misanthrope is a short play, however, it is not easy to read like some other plays I have recently read, but easier than Dr. Faustus which I tried to start reading today and put it down after the first page. Too much like Shakespeare, which makes sense since Shakespeare was inspired by Marlowe's writing. The actual plot and events of the play are simple and not really entertaining. Just a bunch of discussions between multiple men who are in love with the same woman. Our main character, Alceste, is so in love with Celimene and very jealous of the other suitors. He is also very frank and honest with everyone to the point that many are offended and advise him that he should at least keep his mouth shut at times instead of being so brutal. He actually ends up in court for offending another suitor of Celimene.
I found the interactions between the actors interesting. Each talks openly about the faults of others, but while in their midst they are dear friends. They even have a discussion on how a quiet person can be described as a bore or pure of heart depending on how attracted and fond the other person is of them. Is it better to be completely honest with someone and tell them their poem is horrible, or is it better to come up with some compliment on how the poems rhymes without saying that it really is not that great? How honest should we be with others? This is a great conversation to discuss and has so many possibilities.
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