All the characters in Molière’s The Misanthrope, except Alceste, are very similar to how we all act in our present day society. Do most of us not put on a mask when we interact with others? Do we not at some point during the day or week, gather with our closest friends or family members and discuss or point out the flaws of others? I believe we all do and that the society in The Misanthrope, as well as our own, can be labeled “two-faced”.
The scene in The Misanthrope I believe supports my claim is act two, scene five. Celimene, Acastem and Clitandre talk about people at court and criticize them all by saying, “the man’s a most accomplished dunce”, “that tiresome ass”, and “that conceited elf”. They also tell each other that even though they dislike these people at court, they still interact with them in a polite manner. Acaste says he “stood a lifetime in the broiling sun / Before his [Cléonte] dreary monologue was done” and Celimene would “ask the time, and yawn, and yawn” during Bélise’s “painful” visits, rather than seem impolite and not interact with her in the first place.
Today, I see our two-faced society displayed, at its worst, in the workplace. Night shift workers talk bad about day shift workers, supervisors trash the employees they are going to be in charge of that day, and everyone thinks every customer is stupid. When the shift starts for those workers, however, they are joking around and talking with the very same people they were saying were idiots. This is similar to how Celimene, Acastem and Clitandre said they would act at court. I understand that being professional is a requirement in areas such as the workplace, but that does not mean that you have to actively engage in conversation with those you dislike or come back from dealing with a customer saying, “What an idiot” or “That person should never be allowed to reproduce.”
Celimene is certainly two faced. She can talk badly about one person and gossip about them with others, but once that person is on the room she acts like she's delighted to see them just as you describe in the work place scenario.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading this passage, I thought of Mean Girls. That movie is a great example of a two-faced society. This short scene represents how people act differently when talking to someone face-to-face versus when talking about them.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfLSjobM9bg
Everything comes back to Mean Girls. Even Pinterest says so...
DeleteI know exactly what you're saying about society being two faced, especially in the workplace. I'll admit, I do it. I'm not proud of it, but it happens. The complaining about customers thing at least makes me feel united with my coworkers so that we can work together to get through the day; so I can live with that part of work. However, what I can't stand is workers going behind each other's backs and talking bad; I try not to do it, but I hear it all the time. Once at work we had a bit of an Alceste character. He decided that it would be so much better if he went and told a bunch of people to their faces that he didn't like them or working with them. He was really unpleasant about it, and it led to a terrible night at work as he refused to help the people he didn't like and they refused to help him. It did no good that he was "honest" with these people and led to everyone leaving work that night mad. Really, the only good course of action as I see it, from the examples of being two faced and being brutally honest, is keeping your mouth shut and your opinions to yourself.
ReplyDelete