The Miser

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The Miser (L'Avare) is a five‑act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It is set in Paris, inside the home of Harpagon, a widowed old man whose life revolves around his money.

Harpagon is determined to marry Mariane, a young woman with little money, to increase his fortune, while he also wants his daughter Élise to marry a wealthy man named Anselme. Élise loves Valère, who has taken a job as Harpagon’s steward just to be near her. Harpagon’s son, Cléante, loves Mariane and helps her and his father’s plans clash with the lovers’ own schemes. Throughout the play, Harpagon guards a secret stash of gold, and when the money goes missing, he accuses almost everyone in town.

The comedy mixes satire with farce, and characters sometimes speak directly to the audience, breaking the usual stage conventions. The action moves quickly through love plots, disguises, and clever tricks. The ending is a traditional revelation that several characters are unexpectedly related, which resolves the romantic tensions.

The Miser drew on ancient and contemporary sources, especially Plautus’s Latin comedy Aulularia, for ideas and scenes. The play premiered on September 9, 1668, in Paris and was written in French. The name Harpagon itself comes from a Greek word meaning a hook or grasping iron, highlighting his obsession with wealth.

Since its debut, The Miser has inspired many adaptations across Europe and beyond, including English versions by Shadwell and Fielding, operas, and translations into Dutch, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Indonesian, and Scots. Its sharp humor about money, family, and love keeps it popular even today.