SETTING ANALYSIS OF THE MISANTHROPE

INTRODUCTION

In her Paris salon, the flirtatious Célimène is wooed by a number of gentlemen and noblemen. Among them is Alceste, the misanthrope, who finds his sophisticated friends unbearable. His contrary nature sets him at odds with the law, with Oronte (a well connected man in the community) and, at times, with his love, Célimène. This friction is at the heart of the play, creating a high tension tug-of-war. Alceste wants Célimène to drop her active social circle for him alone and chastises her about her crowd of suitors. Célimène, however, continues to play the game, refusing to choose just one man. In quiet opposition to Célimène and her coquettish ways is her cousin Eliante. Eliante, along with Alceste’s good friend Philante, find reason and compromise in the manners of society and their own attitudes.Through vicious gossip, thinly veiled insults and flirtations, character faults are slowly revealed and truths are exposed. And it may be more than any of them bargained for, even for a misanthrope like Alceste.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
There are many definition of setting as follows :
• Setting includes the time, location, circumstances, and everything in which a story takes place. Setting can be referred to as milieu to include a context (especially society) beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. Along with plot, character, theme, and style, setting is considered one of the fundamental components of drama
• Setting is where and when the history takes place. Most of the setting involves the time and the place of the action
• Setting of time is a component of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects. It can a century, year, season
• Setting of place is a component of drama to determine where the background of the story takes place ( Wikipedia the free encyclopedia ). It can be state, city, town, or house
TYPES OF SETTING
• Authors use three basic types of setting. as follow :
1. Public And Private Places, together with various possessions are important in fiction, as in life. To reveal or highlight qualities of character, and also to make literature lifelike, authors include many details about objects and places of human manufacture, construction and maintenance. Houses , both interior and exteriors, are common , as are street, alleys, public park, garden, terraces bridges, grocery stores, and the like. In addition, writers include references to objects such as walking sticks, baseballs, wallpapers, money, guns, books and many more.
2. Outdoor Places are scenes of many fictional actions. The natural world is an obvious location for action of many narratives and plays. It is therefore important to note natural surroundings ( hill, shorelines, valleys, mountains, fields, trees, streams ,etc), living creature (birds, dogs, horses, ) and also the time season an condition in which things happen (morning, or night, summer or winter, sunlight or cloudness, wind or calmness, rain or shine) any or of which may influence and interact with character, motivation and conduct.
3. Cultural And Historical Circumstances often figure largely in fiction just as physical setting influences characters, so do historical and cultural condition and assumptions.
SETTING ANALYSIS OF THE MISANTHROPE
To get inside the righteous anger of Alceste, the flirtatious manipulations of Célimène or the fragile honor of Oronte, we must first examine the society which inspired Moliere to tell the story of The Misanthrope. While the playwright and his theater troupe traveled through the French countryside, all eyes in Paris were on Louis XIV, who ascended the throne in 1654 at the young age of 15. The French believed that royalty had a divine birthright and the reign of King Louis XIV epitomizes the glory of such a station. Louis XIV placed himself in the center of all France, and, like the sun that gives life to the planets that surround it, controlled every element of the world around him.
His tightly held power denied the influence of any other nobility. It was the King who would influence and transform the royal court, those who were granted permission to live on his estate. The King’s courtiers, those fortunate enough wait upon him and to attend his needs, showed the desperation of desert wanderers -- only it was the king’s attention for which they would thirst. Noble society monitored his every glance, searching for approval and guidance concerning everything -- from what to support, which fashion to wear and who to admire or criticize. The Sun King, as he was known to France, used his eager followers to raise French culture to a new standard. He placed high import on things of beauty and intelligence, and invited nobility to participate by attending or simply witnessing his daily activities. From breakfast to bedtime, the court stood in attendance observing the king in the hopes of pleasing him and perhaps, even receiving a word of flattery. His focus on art, literature, dance, music, fashion and food created a country wide renaissance and subsequently, an inimitable cultural boom.
The King’s glorious example created a standard for society known as “l’honnete homme,” or “the upright man,” whose attributes must include eloquent speech, skill at dance, refinement of manners, appreciation of arts, intellectual curiosity and wit. Life in the court became a public showing of individual perfections. One’s power and social standing relied entirely on how they were received by the rest of high society. Appearance was everything. If a person gave any kind of personal insult to another it was expected that they would, in turn, publicly defend themselves and redeem their honor. All disputes were common knowledge to the king and his courtiers, who kept up with the intrigue, as a sort-of social sporting match. In the context of such a society, it is easy to understand why Alceste is so angry with his comrades, why Célimène relishes all the attention lavished upon her and why Oronte is so offended by critical words. Since the reign of the Sun King and his court, the world has seen much change. However, upon further reflection, Moliere’s tale doesn’t seem that far removed from society today.


CONCLUSION
• Play or stories , must necessarily include the description of time, location, circumstances, and everything in which a story takes place, that is namely setting. Author use setting to create meaning, just as painters include backgrounds and object to render ideas.
• Setting is considered one of the fundamental components of drama and usually important and vital in the story. In the Misanthrope play, author uses several kinds of setting. There are setting of place, setting of time, social setting, culture setting.