That William Wycherley’s 1676 play The Plain Dealer is based upon his French contemporary Moliere’s Le Misanthrope from a decade earlier is a commonly accepted tenet among critics: Both Alceste in Le Misanthrope and Manly in The Plain Dealer display misanthropic tendencies. Both insist, however, that their misanthropy is not directed at all people, just those who dissemble and flatter in a hypocritical way. Both are initially in love with women who possess acid tongues in private, yet are guilty of exactly the same public flattery the men despise. Yet The Plain Dealer greatly exceeded its source material in popularity, at least during its initial stage run, and there is very little critical consideration as to why Wycherley’s play, which is generally considered the coarser of the two, outperformed its better. The relative success of Wycherley’s play can likely be attributed to the business concerns faced by Moliere that Wycherley was exempt from, the unvarnished, vulgar satire of The Plain Dealer that was informed by previous crowd-pleasing English plays, and The Plain Dealer’s much larger dollop of misogyny
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Staging and Rehearsal Differences
3. Stylistic Differences and Metadrama
4. Cultural Context and Reception
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the reasons behind the greater commercial success of William Wycherley's 1676 play The Plain Dealer compared to its source material, Molière’s Le Misanthrope, by analyzing the professional constraints faced by the playwrights, stylistic choices, and the specific socio-cultural expectations of contemporary English audiences.
- Professional and logistical constraints of Molière's theatrical company
- Stylistic differences between the two plays, specifically regarding metadrama
- The influence of English audience expectations for vulgar satire and farce
- Differences in characterization and the use of archetypes
- The impact of shifting historical perspectives on the plays' long-term reception
Excerpt from the Book
Money and Metafiction: The box office success of The Plain Dealer over Le Misanthrope
That William Wycherley’s 1676 play The Plain Dealer is based upon his French contemporary Moliere’s Le Misanthrope from a decade earlier is a commonly accepted tenet among critics: Both Alceste in Le Misanthrope and Manly in The Plain Dealer display misanthropic tendencies. Both insist, however, that their misanthropy is not directed at all people, just those who dissemble and flatter in a hypocritical way. Both are initially in love with women who possess acid tongues in private, yet are guilty of exactly the same public flattery the men despise. Yet The Plain Dealer greatly exceeded its source material in popularity, at least during its initial stage run, and there is very little critical consideration as to why Wycherley’s play, which is generally considered the coarser of the two, outperformed its better. With this paper I hope to show that the relative success of Wycherley’s play can likely be attributed to the business concerns faced by Moliere that Wycherley was exempt from, the unvarnished, vulgar satire of The Plain Dealer that was informed by previous crowd-pleasing English plays, and The Plain Dealer’s much larger dollop of misogyny.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction establishes the foundational comparison between Wycherley’s The Plain Dealer and Molière’s Le Misanthrope, posing the core question of why the former achieved greater initial commercial success.
2. Staging and Rehearsal Differences: This section explores how the logistical burdens of Molière’s working theater troupe, including tight schedules and complex performance requirements, negatively impacted the initial run of his play compared to Wycherley’s independent circumstances.
3. Stylistic Differences and Metadrama: This chapter analyzes how Wycherley utilized self-referential humor and metadramatic elements to engage his audience, effectively contrasting his approach with Molière's more formal stylistic choices.
4. Cultural Context and Reception: The final chapter examines how English audiences favored the "busy" and satirically aggressive nature of Wycherley’s work, eventually contrasting this with the later re-evaluation of Le Misanthrope by 18th-century thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau.
Keywords
William Wycherley, Molière, The Plain Dealer, Le Misanthrope, Restoration Theatre, Metadrama, Satire, Commercial Success, Staging, Misanthropy, Literary Influence, Audience Expectations, Performance History, Drama, Comedy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper explores the reasons why Wycherley's 1676 play The Plain Dealer was significantly more successful at the box office upon its release than its French source material, Molière’s Le Misanthrope.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The research focuses on theatrical history, comparative literature, the business of seventeenth-century stage productions, and the influence of cultural audience expectations on comedic success.
What is the primary research question?
The author seeks to determine why The Plain Dealer, often viewed as the coarser of the two plays, outperformed the more refined Le Misanthrope during its initial stage run.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper utilizes a comparative analytical method, drawing on historical documentation of theatrical rehearsals, contemporary critical reception, and close textual analysis of both plays.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The body addresses the logistical differences in production, the usage of metadrama and self-reference in Restoration comedy, and the specific role of misogyny and character tropes in English versus French theatrical traditions.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Restoration Theatre, Metadrama, Wycherley, Molière, and theatrical commercialism.
How did Molière’s role as both actor and manager affect his play's success?
According to the text, Molière’s dual responsibility to act and manage his troupe, coupled with a grueling performance schedule, made it difficult to maintain the complex requirements of his script, leading to potential performance issues that affected its initial run.
Why does the author argue that Wycherley’s play felt more "busy" on stage?
The author argues that The Plain Dealer featured numerous scenes in public places and active, conflict-driven plot points, which catered to the English audience's taste for vibrant, busy stage action compared to Molière’s more subdued, room-bound drama.
How does the author view the long-term historical reputation of both plays?
The author notes that while The Plain Dealer won in initial popularity, Le Misanthrope eventually secured its status as a timeless classic thanks to later reinterpretations that framed the lead character in a more tragic and enduring light.
- Quote paper
- Mark Schauer (Author), 2011, Money and Metafiction in William Wycherley's "The Plain Dealer" and Moliere's "Le Misanthrope", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/230268
