The Misanthrope characters

Appears from the start

An uncompromising nobleman who despises social flattery and insists on complete sincerity. His principles repeatedly bring him into conflict with polite society, yet he is passionately attached to the fashionable Célimène.

Appears from the start

Alceste's even-tempered friend. He believes courtesy and small accommodations are necessary for people to live together and tries to moderate Alceste's rigid judgments.

Appears from the start

A fashionable young widow with many admirers, including Alceste. Quick-witted and socially skilled, she enjoys company, gossip, and the freedom of postponing a choice among her suitors.

Appears from the start

A courtier and aspiring poet who asks Alceste for a candid opinion of his sonnet. He expects admiration, and Alceste's refusal to provide it turns literary vanity into a formal dispute.

First appears in chapter 2

Célimène's sensible cousin and another possible match for Alceste. She understands his better qualities without sharing his hostility toward ordinary social conduct.

First appears in chapter 3

A self-righteous woman who presents herself as morally severe and claims concern for Célimène's reputation. Her interest in Alceste gives her visit a personal purpose as well as a social one.

First appears in chapter 2

One of the fashionable marquesses who gathers at Célimène's house and competes for her attention. He joins readily in the clever judgments made about absent acquaintances.

First appears in chapter 2

A courtly marquess and one of Célimène's persistent admirers. He treats the rivalry for her favor as part of fashionable social life.

First appears in chapter 4

Alceste's servant, whose hurried warning about his master's legal troubles interrupts the disputes at Célimène's house.