Le Misanthrope

Le Misanthrope, ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux ("The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover") is a comedy in five acts by Molière (Jean Baptiste Poquelin de Molière, 1622-1673) [1],

Best known under its shorter title of Le Misanthrope

The original text

Regarded by many critics as Moliere's greatest play, it presents us with a study of the conflict between the human being's his own individuality and his needs as a social animal.

The play opened on 4 June 1666 in the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris, presented by the King's Players.

Translations and adaptations

The play has been translated into numerous languages, and has been adapted, copied, travestied, etc over the ages.

The first English translation of Molier's play was by John Ozelll, in 1714, and perhaps the best known 19th century translation in English is by Henri Van Laun (1820-1896)[2].

The first Broadway production of the play apparently took place on April 10–15, 1905 at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Some sources consider the English verse translation by Richard Wilbur, entitled The Misanthrope, as the best English version available. This translation was first produced at the Poet's Theatre, Cambridge, Mass. on 25 October 1955.

Translated into Afrikaans as