Megan Meinero IB Theatre Arts- Research Investigation Word Count: 1582

How wou d an actor traditiona ! "er#or$ the ro e o# A ceste in Mo i%re&s Le Misanthrope' a co$ed! o# $anners(
INTRODUCTION )ince the ate 1*++s' co$edies o# $anners have satirized the style or manner of the way in which members of the social group (society) act or behave. Much of this is physical and can be seen in the way people in a particular culture communicate through body language. Furthermore, much of this can be seen by analyzing the courtship manners and social niceties of a period. Period music and dance play ma or roles in this! ("omedy of Manners #tyle $). This st! e o# theatre e$erged during the Restoration' a "eriod o# theatrica reviva in ,ng and- .ro$ 1*/2 to 1**+' the 0uritans ru ed ,ng and' and under their contro ' a theatres were c osed- The! #e t that theatre was a $enace to societ! and stage e1"ression $ust 2e su""ressed- However' when 3ing Char es II too4 the throne in 1**+' he a owed theatre to thrive once again- )hort ! a#ter' co$ed! o# $anners was deve o"ed and "er#ected in ,ng and and ater in other western ,uro"ean nations' inc uding .rance where Mo i%re wou d "roduce so$e o# the $ost #a$ous co$ed! o# $anners wor4s5Formalized within the narrow and ego%centric &estoration theatre, comedy of manners continued to be written by observant dramatists wishing to reflect or comment upon the attitudes of similarly constituted social groups who loo'ed upon theatre%going as a prerogative of their class. (n )ngland, these early comedy of manners dramatists included *ycherly, "ongreve, )therege, and Farh+uar! ("omedy of Manners #tyle $). ,ater dramatists of this form included #heridan, *ilde, and -oel "oward. 6e Misanthro"e' a " a! 2! Mo i%re' which satiri7es the $anners o# the .rench aristocrac!' is one o# Mo i%re&s $ost ce e2rated wor4s- Centered on A ceste' the 5$isanthro"e'8 the " a! e1" ores honest!' ove' and socia 2ehaviorMo i%re

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In $! o"inion' the $ost i$"ortant e e$ent o# a co$ed! o# $anners " a! is that it satiri7es societ!- ?#ten' " a!wrights wrote the " a! to $oc4 the ver! audience that wou d 2e watching it- Mo i%re was one such " a!wright- To tru ! "er#ect the ro e o# A ceste' the actor needs to 2e #a$i iar with the $anners o# the .rench aristocrac! during the ate 1*++s- The " a! o"ens with A ceste and 0hi inte de2ating the va ue o# honest!- 0hi ante' a ong with the other characters o# the " a! e1c uding A ceste' are re"resentative o# the aristocrac! at the ti$e- The! 2e ieve that it is 2etter to 2e #a se' to acce"t hu$an # aws and ie #or the 2ene#it o# others' than to 2e co$" ete ! truth#u - A ceste' however' 2e ieves in 2ruta honest!DEFINITION A ceste

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B! de#inition' a $isanthro"e is a "erson who hates "eo" e- As the 5$isanthro"e8 o# 6e Misanthro"e' it is o2vious that A ceste detests those around hi$' even those that he oves- In Act I )cene II' ?ronte as4s A ceste #or his o"inion on a sonnet he has writtenA ceste te s hi$ how tru ! horri#ic he #inds the "oe$' te ing hi$' 5Candid !' !ou had 2etter "ut it in !our c oset- >ou have 2een #o owing 2ad $ode s' and !our e1"ressions are not at a natura -8 His uncensored honest! was unheard o# at the ti$e- In Act II )cene ;' CB i$%ne co$$ents that A ceste 5a wa!s su""orts a contrar! idea' and he wou d thin4 hi$se # too $uch o# the co$$on herd' were he o2served to 2e o# an! one&s o"inion 2ut his own- The honour o# gainsa!ing has so $an! char$s #or hi$' that he ver! o#ten ta4es u" the cudge s against hi$se #C he co$2ats his own senti$ents as soon as he hears the$ #ro$ other #o 4s& i"s-8 At this ti$e' agree$ent was considered "o ite and "ro"er' and disagree$ent was saved #or 2ac4door gossi"- CB i$%ne is "ainting A ceste as an outsider a$ongst these aristocrats with her co$$ent- These e1cer"ts tru ! de$onstrate A ceste&s nature as a co$ed! o# $anners character and shou d strong ! in# uence an actor&s "ortra!a -

VOICE As stated ear ier' the "oint o# a co$ed! o# $anners is to satiri7e societ!- Mo i%re #ocuses s"eci#ica ! on the .rench aristocrac! in 6e Misanthro"e- At the ti$e' $e$2ers o# the aristocrac! wou d s"ea4 with a so$ewhat ighthearted air- To 2etter e$"hasi7e the contrast 2etween A ceste and the societ! he $oc4s' an actor shou d create a harsher tone #or the character- Whi e the other characters see$ care#ree' A ceste&s voice shou d have a certain gravitas- A ceste wastes no ti$e when s"ea4ing his $indC the actor shou d not waste either- Throughout the " a!' various characters re#er to A ceste as 5a2surd-8 A shar" di##erence in the wa! he s"ea4s' wi a so add to the a2surdit! o# the characterMo i%re writes 6e Misanthro"e in a ver! distinct st! e- The te1t rh!$es' adding to the ight' a $ost whi$sica #ee o# the dia ogue- Again' the actor " a!ing A ceste $ust "rovide a strong contrast 2etween hi$se # and the others- He can acco$" ish this in $an! wa!s- As $entioned 2e#ore' he can s"ea4 in a rougher tone- He can a so " ace ess e$"hasis on the rh!$e and $ore on the heart o# the ines the$se vesCOMMEDIA INFLUENCE & THE PHYSICAL Much of Moliere.s characterization (stoc' characters), plot development, and performance style is based on the earlier commedia dell /arte style of improvised comedy ("omedy of Manners #tyle $). Co$$edia de &arte The Misanthro"e

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)o$e o# si$i arities 2etween co$$edia and co$ed! o# $anners can 2e seen in the "hotogra"hs a2ove- The staging is ver! si$i arC $an! characters occu"! the stage at the sa$e ti$e- There are a so costu$ing i4enesses- Whi e $ost o# the su""orting cast is dressed in neutra co ors' the $ain character is dressed in 2right gar2' $a4ing hi$ or her stand out- In the Co$$edia "icture' the $ain character was the $an dressed in red' contrasting the white costu$es o# the other characters- In the Misanthro"e' this character is A ceste- He shou d 2e dressed in si$" er' 2ut dar4er gar$ents- The audience shou d 2e a2 e to see that A ceste does not care a2out what he wears as $uch as the other $e$2ers o# the aristocrac!Co$$edia de &arte dea t strong ! with "h!sica $ove$ent' as we as ver2a co$ed!- 3nowing this' an actor shou d a so e1" ore the "h!sica as"ects o# A ceste- He is an aristocrat' so he wou d "ro2a2 ! e1hi2it re ative ! good "osture- However' his views are Guite di##erent #ro$ those o# a t!"ica aristocrat- An actor $a! consider $ani#esting the 2urden he carries 2! s ouching or $oving at a s ower' a $ost heav! "ace- Another

"h!sica thing to consider is hand gestures- ?ther "h!sica as"ects to consider inc ude hand gestures and stage $ove$ent- A ceste see$s i4e the 4ind o# character who wou d invo ve so$e hand $otions when he was es"ecia ! #ired u" a2out so$ething- When $oving around the stage' he wou d "ro2a2 ! $ove Guic4 !- He does not was ti$e ti"toeing around the di##icu t when he s"ea4s' there#ore one $ust not e1"ect hi$ to do the sa$e when he wa 4sINTELLECTUAL COMEDY Most o# the co$ed! in a co$ed! o# $anners co$es #ro$ dia ogue rather than action- 5Co$ed! o# Manners is 4nown as high co$ed! 2ecause it invo ves a so"histicated wit and ta ent in the writing o# the scri"t- In this sense it is 2oth inte ectua and ver! $uch the o""osite o# s a"stic4' which reGuires itt e s4i with the scri"t and is arge ! a "h!sica #or$ o# co$ed!- In a Co$ed! o# Manners however' there is o#ten $ini$a "h!sica action and the " a! $a! invo ve heav! use o# dia ogue8 HCo$ed! o# Manners 1I- Whi e a $a=orit! o# co$edies o# the sa$e "eriod #ocused on "resenting "h!sica co$ed! to the audience' Mo i%re "rovided a sort o# inte ectua co$ed!- The hu$or is s"o4en' rather than "resented visua !' a owing it to easi ! 2e ost a$ongst the actions- There#ore' it is i$"erative that the actor " a!ing A ceste e$"hasi7e the hu$or o# certain ines- This is not a stand-u" co$ed! showWe shou dn&t hear a dru$ and c!$2a a#ter ever! =o4e- However' i# de ivered i$"ro"er !' the hu$or and ver! essence o# the "iece can go co$" ete ! undetected and the overa intent o# the "iece' ost- A ceste $ust 2e read with an a $ost sarcastic tone- He des"ises ever!thing around hi$' and that attitude "rovides the hu$or to the show- I# A ceste was =ust i4e ever! other $e$2er o# the .rench aristocrac!' there wou d 2e no con# ict and the events o# the " a! wou d see$ ess than trivia - ?nce again' the di##erences 2etween A ceste and the rest o# the characters $ust 2e strong ! e$"hasi7ed or e se the co$ed! o# the "iece is ostCONCLUSION An actor "ortra!ing A ceste in Mo i%re&s 6e Misanthro"e $ust consider $an! di##erent #actors when tac4 ing the ro e- Co$ed! o# $anners dea s with satire o# societ! and the wa! "eo" e "resent the$se ves- There#ore' it is $ost i$"ortant that the actor earns create a contrast 2etween A ceste and the .rench aristocrats o# the ti$e "eriodHe shou d a so #ocus on tone o# voice' "h!sica e e$ents o# the character' and de iver! o# the co$edic ines o# the " a!- I# he studies each o# these according !' he shou d 2e a2 e to "resent A ceste in the traditiona co$ed! o# $anners st! e' =ust as Mo i%re intended it-

WORKS CITED JCo$ed! o# Manners .act )heet-J Co$ed! o# Manners- 1+ <ec- 2++8 Khtt":99www-drwarren-in#o9s"ring2++A-s! a2i9co$ed!D2+o#D2+$annersD2+#act D2+sheetD2+H#ro$ D2+theatre in4s-co$I-doc The Co$ed! o# Manners: @ean Ba"tiste 0oGue in de Mo iere: The Misanthro"e- <ir- Haro d Mante - 0er#- ,dward 0ether2ridge and )hei a Reid- <igita Co ectionsLMM- 1EA5Mniversit! o# Mar! and- 1/ <ec- 2++8 Khtt":99hd -hand e-net91E+F-19AF/NJCo$ed! o# Manners )t! e-J 12 <ec- 2++8 Khtt":99cc-!su-edu9Odrhenne$9co$ed!-"d#NJThe Misanthro"e-J TheatreHistor!-co$- 2++2- 1+ <ec- 2++8 Khtt":99www-theatrehistor!-co$9#rench9$isanthro"e++1-ht$ NMo iere' @ean Ba"stiste 0oGue in- The Misanthro"e- White#ish' MT: 3essinger' 2++/-