Scene Breakdown for “The Misanthrope”Designer: Sean Saari

Character / Location / Entrance/Exit / Page / Major action
Philinte / Celimene’s house in Paris / Play begins with Philinte onstage / 434-437 / Philinte argues with Alceste over the nature of flattery and later brings up the state of the lawsuit against Alceste
Alceste / Same / Play begins with Alceste seated and moping / 434-437 / Alceste argues that such flattery is untruthful, like all of humankind
Oronte / Same / Scene begins with Oronte, Alceste and Philinte onstage / 437-439 / Oronte expresses his admiration of Alceste, until Alceste critiques a poem he devised
Alceste / Same / Same / 437-439 / Alceste doesn’t hesitate to verbally tear Oronte’s poem apart
Philinte / Same / Same / 437-439 / Philinte tries to intervene.
Philinte / Same / Same / 439 / Tries to converse with Alceste who doesn’t want to be bothered.
Alceste / Same / Same / 439 / Tries to force Philinte away.
Alceste / Same / Same / 439-440 / Argues with Celimene over the nature of seeing so many men, when she supposedly loves him.
Celimene / Same / Same / 439-440 / Defends her activities as a means of preventing any potential harm these suitors could cause.
Celimene / Same / Same / 440 / Is alerted of Acaste’s arrival
Basque / Same / Same / 440 / Is the one who alerted her.
Alceste / Same / Same / 440-441 / News of Acaste arriving has reignighted his earlier argument with Celimene.
Celimene / Same / Same / 440-441 / She continues to defend her actions.
Alceste / Same / Same / 441-443 / Despite despising idle chatter, Alceste stays and insist he shall not leave until Celimene has turned the other men away. Later joins in and chastises the others for their gossip of those who aren’t present.
Basque / Comes and goes / Begins onstage and then eixts. Later comes back. / 441-443 / Provides chairs for the guests and then announces the arrival of the court guard.
Celimene / Her house / Begins onstage / 441-443 / Gossips about all the other suitors who aren’t present and then retorts Alceste’s chastising.
Acaste / Same / Same / 441-443 / Simply keeps the conversation going
Clitandre / Same / Same / 441-443 / Same
Philinte / Same / Same / 441-443 / Tries to defend those absent.
Eliante / Same / Same / 441-443 / Same
Alceste / Same / Same / 443-444 / After conversing with the guard, he is determined to defend his previous actions towards Oronte.
Guard / Same / Comes and goes / 443 / Explains the summoning by the court.
Philinte / Same / Same / 443 / Tries to convince Alceste to simply apologize.
Acaste / Same / Is onstage / 444 / Tells his woes to Clitandre who comes up with a test for determining who Celimene really loves.
Clitandre / Same / Same / 444 / Creates said test
Celimene / Same / Same / 444-446 / Defends her questionable activities that have brought her honor in to question and then attacks Arsinoe on her own similar activities.
Arsinoe / Same / Same / 444-446 / Brings up the rumors about Celimene’s activities.
Alceste / Same / Same / 447-448 / Comments on his disgust of the court and then upon his love for Celimene.
Arsinoe / Same / Same / 447-448 / Convinces Alceste to go to her home where she has evidence of Celimene’s deceit.
Philinte / Same / Same / 448-449 / Highlights Alceste’s recent visit to the court and his actions against Oronte. Confesses his love for Eliante. Tries to ease Alceste’s fear of what he found in the letter (evidence) that Arsinoe produced.
Eliante / Same / Same / 448-449 / Admits she enjoys Philinte too and then also tries to alleviateAlceste’s anxiety.
Alceste / Same / Same / 449-451 / Confronts Celimene over her letter to Oronte and confesses his undying affection towards her.
Celimene / Same / Same / 449-451 / Tries to defend her actions as nothing for which Alceste should worry about.
Alceste / Same / Same / 451 / Receives a letter from Dubois regarding the lawsuit.
Dubois / Same / Same / 451 / Explains that a friend came with a warning for Alceste to flee and then hands over the letter.
Alceste / Same / Same / 452 / Discusses his complete and utter dislike for all mankind that has peaked over the loss of the lawsuit and decides to go into exile.
Philinte / Same / Same / 452 / Tries to talk him out of his proposed exile.
Oronte / Same / Same / 453 / Confronts Celimene over her seeing so many suitors and declares that she confesses who truly holds her desire.
Alceste / Same / Same / 453 / Agrees with Oronte and demands the same.
Acaste, Clitandre, Arsinoe / Same / Same / 454-455 / Have all discovered Celimene’s true nature and read her various love letters to the others and demand she finally be truthful to all.
Oronte / Same / Exits / 455 / Leaves in disgust over hearing how Celimene truly feels about him.
Arsinoe / Same / Same / 455 / Leaves in disgust after Alceste still rejects her admiration.
Alceste / Same / Is onstage / 455-456 / Despite now knowing the truth, he still confesses his love for Celimene, but proposes that to prove her love back that she must go into exile with him.
Celiemene / Same / Same / 455-456 / Admits that she does have feelings for Alceste, but detests going into exile at such a young age, but even though she proposes marriage, Alceste won’t have her since she rejected going into exile with him.
Eliante / Same / Same / 456 / Reveals to Alceste that she and his friend Philinte are to be married.
Philinte / Same / Same / 456 / Does the same, but then insists they try to change Alceste’s mind on going into total seclusion.