Molieres Don Juan

A detailed Summary of Molieres Don Juan

Although Moliere's Don Juan was written in 1665, its central themes can be carried over through the ages up to today. Moliere creates many fascinating characters limited not only to Don Juan, but his servant, wife, father, and others he encounters throughout the play. In Don Juan, Moliere creates a character who shapes the world to fit his own personal illusions by an egotistical abuse of power. Even greater, is Moliere's ability to create characters who can interact with such a main character, trying to even challenge this abuse of power, however unsuccessful. In this essay, I will examine the characteristics of Don Juan, and the uses of the other characters and how other characters uses their own unique way to try and get Don Juan to change his ways.

Don Juan, himself, is a completely egotistical character. Abusing his power to get what he wants when he wants, Moliere "creates a noble and self-contained Tartuffe who needs no aid from an established canon of belief to rule the lives of others". Walker, Moliere, pg. 101. Don Juan has already been born to great blood, and does not need the approval of others to rationalize what he does. His ancestry is reasoning and almost a scapegoat for

To Heaven the responsibility for the things we need, when

Don Juan throughout the play. However powerful Don Juan does seem throughout the play, there is also another side of Don Juan that almost seeps out of Don Juan very subtly. Don Juan is a contradiction himself, the power of his tyranny and at the same time, his dependence upon his "victims", or those he tricks and dehumanizes. In Act I Scene 2, Don Juan is explaining his feelings to his companion Sgnarelle. Sgnarelle tells him how he does not approve of the way Don Juan "makes love left and right". To this, Don Juan answers:

Little we know what we're doing when we do not leave

The first character to plead with Don Juan is his wife, Dona Elvire. Dona Elvire was seduced out of the convent by Don Juan, only to later learn of her husbands' betrayal. In Act I Scene 3, Dona Elvire confirms her suspicions and admits her "simplicity and weak heartedness in doubting a betrayal which so much evidence confirmed" (pg. 326). She asks Don Juan for a reason in which return Don Juan makes his servant Sgnaraelle address her. Don Juan finally answers for his actions stating:

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Approximate Word count = 1652
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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