Life Lessons from Al and Phil

            “Does this dress make me look fat?” When women ask men this dreaded question, men are left with their mouth agape, searching for the right words to say. Does he tell her, the love of his life, the truth—that the dress does not flatter her? Or, does he lie and say she looks gorgeous—when in reality, the dress makes her look like a misshapen orange? In his play, The Misanthrope, Molière addresses both honesty and deception through his characters, Philinte and Alceste. At the beginning of the play, these two characters discuss how to properly treat others, especially when they disagree with them or the choices that they make. Philinte is more accepting of men’s flaws while Alceste is intolerable of mankind and its mistakes, calling all men “corrupt” and “base” (Molière 20). Philinte is a stark contrast to Alceste’s brutal honesty and resembles the most acceptable behavior in society as he balances truth and deception in his interactions with others. 

In the first act of Misanthrope, Alceste accuses Philinte of being fake, saying that he “falsifies the heart’s affections” when he should be sincere (Molière 16). Alceste tells Philinte that he would be disgusted with himself if he treated people like Philinte and wants people to “…display / their inmost hearts in everything they say” (Molière 19). If one does not say exactly what he thinks and feels—if he “ part[s] / with any word that isn’t from the heart”—then he cannot be trusted (Molière 17). Philinte firmly disagrees and asks, “Wouldn’t the social fabric come undone / if we were wholly frank with everyone?” (Molière 19). Friends would resent one another for the frank words they spoke, family units would not function properly if brutal honesty was directed towards another, and members of society would hate their fellow neighbors. Philinte further explains that “in polite society, custom decrees / that we show certain outward courtesies” (Molière 18). Regardless of how one is feeling, he should show his neighbor respect. When Alceste does not agree, Philinte asks Alceste if he would “call Dorilas a bore” or “tell old Emilie it’s pathetic / the way she daubs her features with cosmetic” (Molière 19). Alceste explains that he would because it is the truth. Though these sentiments are honest, they are insensitive. Alceste is critical of human’s flaws and sees all of mankind as “corrupt” (Molière 20). He believes that they are not good enough and is unsatisfied with everyone he meets. In contrast, Philinte accepts that humans are not perfect but flawed which allows him to live happily in society and in unity with his fellow man.

            Later in the play, a man named Oronte approaches Philinte and Alceste and asks Alceste to “comment on [a sonnet he wrote] / and tell [him] whether [he] ought to publish it” (Molière 33). Alceste reluctantly agrees, and Oronte proceeds to read the poem to both Alceste and Philinte. As Oronte reads his sonnet, Alceste and Philinte express different opinions. Alceste calls the poem “frightful” (Molière 35) and “trash” (Molière 36) while Philinte disagrees and says that it is “exquisite—full of feeling and grace” (Molière 36). Because Oronte seeks Alceste’s approval, he asks for Alceste’s opinion. However, not only does Alceste give him his genuine reaction and criticism in regards to his work, but he also criticizes Oronte’s character and his overall writing skills. He says that he thinks that “[Oronte] cannot write a line” (Molière 41), and he should “conceal [his] pastimes from the public view” (Molière 39). Although Alceste is truthful about what he thinks, he is unnecessarily aggressive and hurtful. Philinte, on the other hand, is encouraging and realizes that “Oronte is “hungry for appreciation” (Molière 44). Instead of being overly sincere, Philinte believes that Alceste should have offered his critiques in a polite and positive way; Alceste should have been encouraging and helpful to his fellow man.

            Philinte makes mistakes as well because he can “almost hug a man to death, / exclaim for joy until [he is] out of breath,” then later, “speak with absolute indifference of him” (Molière 16). In other words, Philinte is warm and speaks kindly when he talks to another person, but he changes his attitude towards that man when he is not around. Throughout the play, however, Philinte exhibits honesty when he reprimands Alceste for viewing all men as detestable. Alceste should be polite and “return [someone’s] love the best that [they] know how,” Philinte chides (Molière 17). He even tells Alceste that he is “thought ridiculous when [he] rage[s] / and rants against the manners of the age” (Molière 21). Alceste’s beliefs, that all of mankind are hypocrites and evil, do not solve any problems, Philinte points out; they only cause Alceste to look foolish. “By being frank,” Philinte tells Alceste, “you’ve earned the reputation of a crank” (Molière 21). While Alceste may believe that humans cannot change unless their flaws are pointed out, Philinte recognizes that the world will not change because of something Alceste says or does (Molière 21). Philinte is honest with Alceste, yet he remains true to his beliefs as he advocates for Alceste to show grace towards others. 

Even though Philinte is flawed, he is more acceptable in society than Alceste. Philinte does not want to stir up trouble, but he instead desires to “show leniency toward human failings” (Molière 23). Because he realizes that the human race is flawed and it is natural for humans to make mistakes, he shows forgiveness when he encounters difficult people. Furthermore, he does not hate or believe that he is better than society and wish to flee to “some desert land unfouled by human kind” like Alceste (Molière 22). Alceste might be honest, but Philinte is a beloved member in society and also happens to be the only character who has a successful relationship by the play’s ending. His compliments and encouragement are prominent themes throughout the play, and they allow him to establish healthy relationships. Unlike Alceste, it is possible to please Philinte.

Although neither Philinte or Alceste perfectly balance tactfulness and honesty, Philinte is closer to this ideal than Alceste. A person should refrain from being “false and hollow,” like Alceste accuses Philinte of being in the beginning of the play (Molière 17). However, one should not disregard people’s feelings when they are being truthful. Instead of choosing one of these two extremes, a person should search for the golden mean. Although one should try to be honest in all things, he should not disregard a person’s feelings. Honesty is incredibly important, and kindness and tactfulness are rare. If one balances these characteristics well, they would be both beneficial and encouraging to other people.