description The Miser Overview
The Miser is a five-act prose comedy by French playwright Molière, first performed in 1668. Its central character, Harpagon, is a wealthy widower whose obsessive fear of spending and losing money disrupts the marriage plans of his children, Cléante and Élise. Drawing partly on Plautus's ancient Roman comedy Aulularia, the play uses family intrigue, mistaken assumptions, and a stolen cash box to expose avarice and parental control.
insights Ranking position
The Miser ranks #47 of 203 in the Play ranking, behind The Homecoming, ahead of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.
help The Miser FAQ
Why is Harpagon's cash box so important in The Miser?
Harpagon has hidden a box containing 10,000 crowns in his garden, and its disappearance sends him into a famous panic. The box embodies his preference for money over trust, family, or affection.
Why do Harpagon and Cléante both want to marry Mariane?
Harpagon plans to marry the young Mariane because he believes she can live cheaply, without realizing that his son Cléante already loves her. Their rivalry turns Harpagon's control over his children's marriages into the comedy's central conflict.
Is Molière's The Miser based on an older play?
Molière drew heavily on Plautus's Roman comedy Aulularia, especially its story of a miser obsessed with a hidden pot of gold. The Miser was first performed in Paris in 1668 and relocates that comic obsession to a French household.
How do Élise and Valère become involved in Harpagon's schemes?
Élise secretly loves Valère, who has entered Harpagon's household as a steward to remain near her. Harpagon instead intends to marry Élise to the wealthy Anselme because Anselme is willing to take her without a dowry.
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