English 3700 Lecture Notes - Classical Unities, Platonic Love
Document Summary
Character is key to this play, not much action, not much changes, moliere adheres to classical unities. The hero and heroine physically end the play apart (emotionally apart: alceste: changes his expectation, shaming philiante but ends up giving a happy future with a wife. Sense of compromise: celemine: she doesn"t change, even if the letters are exposed she can find more men! Role of being a coquette is more important than marriage. Court case (alceste vs orente (the poet)): philiante reports alceste"s actions and words. Gossip murmurs that alceste has written a scandalous book. ), she wants to prolong her coquette character. Act 4, scene : alceste is angry because he believes that she is unfaithful. His lack of judgment caused him to want to be with celemine. Some change in his character: ruled by his emotions, we doubt his love for celemine (he"s too possessive). Celemine"s response: becomes deceptive, maintaining her power, she doesn"t misinterpret alceste"s jealousy for love.
