Famous quotes explained: « And to esteem everyone is to esteem nothing », The Misanthrope, Molière, 1667.

lescoursjulien.com

Famous quotes explained: « And to esteem everyone is to esteem nothing », The Misanthrope, Molière, 1667.

And to esteem everyone is to esteem nothing. This is a very famous quote from Molière’s play The Misanthrope, scene 1 of act 1, performed in 1666 and published in 1667.

This quote is part of the first scene of the play and raises the central theme of the work: what is friendship? What should human relationships be like? This in a specific context, that of Louis XIV’s court in the 17th century. Like La Fontaine, Molière denounces courtiers and the reign of appearance, this theater of masks that was the court.

Alceste, the main character of The Misanthrope ,by this line, rejects appearance and hypocrisy in friendship and social relationships. It could be replaced by « To love everyone is to love no one. »

But more deeply, it means that we must be honest. The moral of the verse states that friendship is particular and cannot concern all of our relationships. If we cannot choose, it is because we do not choose. Thus, beware of someone who loves everyone, for he loves no one in particular. For Molière, this attitude is the first step towards hypocrisy.

And to esteem everyone is to esteem nothing

Links to Another quotes:Famous quotes explained: « Work keeps three great evils away from us: boredom, vice, and need. », Candide, Voltaire, 1759. Famous quotes explained: « Without the freedom to criticize, there is no genuine praise. » Act V, Scene 3., The Marriage of Figaro, Beaumarchais, 1784.Famous quotes explained: « One must eat to live, not live to eat. »The Miser, Act III, Scene V, Molière, 1668. Famous Quotes explained: « In war, it is the war of men; in peace, it is the war of ideas. », Fragments, Hugo, 1885. Famous Quotes explained: « I am weary of museums, cemeteries of the arts. » , Lamartine, Voyage en Orient, 1835. Famous Quotes Explained: « What is well conceived is clearly expressed. And the words to say it come easily. », Nicolas Boileau, The Art of Poetry, 1674. Famous Quotes Explained: « One sees clearly with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes. », The Little Prince, Saint-Exupéry, 1943. Famous quotes explained: « Education is given by the family; instruction is owed by the state. », Victor Hugo, Words and deeds, 1876. Famous Quotes explained: « One person is missing, and everything is depopulated. » Méditations poétiques, « L’Isolement », Lamartine, 1820. Famous quotes explained: « To love is to know how to say ‘I love you’ without speaking. » Victor Hugo

lescoursjulien.com

Page Facebook: CoursJulien

Twitter:@lescoursjulien

Contact: lescoursjulien@yahoo.fr