A Definitive Study Guide to Molière's Lakomec (The Miser)

Classification and Literary Framework

The work is an example of Classicism and the Enlightenment (Klasicismus a Osvícenství), categorized as the fifth major literary direction in this study cycle. Specifically, the text is a drama written in prose, categorized under the literary genre of comedy. In the context of the 17th-century literary hierarchy, it is considered a "low genre" (nízký žánr), which traditionally focuses on lower social classes and everyday life rather than heroic or aristocratic ideals. Notable for this dramatic format, there is no physical narrator or lyrical subject present in the text, as the story is conveyed entirely through the actions and dialogue of the characters.

Time, Setting, and Environmental Context

The narrative adheres to the classical unities of time and place. The entire plot unfolds within the duration of a single day. The setting is the city of Paris (Paříž), specifically confined to the interiors and the garden of Harpagon's house. The story is situated historically in the 17th century.

Principal Themes and Motifs

The central theme of the work is the total deformation of human and family relationships driven by an insatiable and obsessive desire for money. The text explores how extreme greed can lead to the erosion of empathy and the destruction of familial bonds. Key motifs include the accumulation of money and property, romantic love, rebellion against parental authority, hypocrisy, selfishness, and an overwhelming sense of paranoia and fear.

Comprehensive Analysis of Central Characters

Harpagon serves as the main character. He is presented as a wealthy bourgeois, a widower, and the father of Kleant and Eliška. His defining characteristics include being heartless, selfish, extremely paranoid, and greedy. He is so consumed by his wealth that he is willing to sacrifice the individual happiness and futures of his own children for the sake of his property.

Kleant is Harpagon's son and a member of the immediate family. He is deeply in love with Mariana, a girl living in poverty. Kleant is described as social and brave, but his father's stinginess forces him into a desperate situation where he must borrow money from usurers (lichváři) to survive and maintain his social standing.

Eliška is Harpagon's daughter, also a member of the household. She is in love with Valér. Her character is defined by sincerity and unhappiness, as she lives in constant fear of her father's anger. Harpagon intends to marry her off to an old man simply because the arrangement would not require him to provide a dowry (bez věna).

Analysis of Secondary Characters and Servants

Valér belongs to the group of partners/children's lovers. He acts as the steward or manager of Harpagon's house. He is intelligent and calculating, choosing to crawl before Harpagon and flatter him continuously to gain his trust. It is eventually revealed through the plot that he is actually of noble origin.

Mariana is another partner character, a poor girl who is the object of Kleant's affection. However, Harpagon also intends to marry her himself. In a significant plot twist, she is revealed to be Valér's sister. Her character traits include being modest, tict (quiet), and obedient.

Štika (La Flèche) is a member of the servant class, specifically Kleant's devoted servant. He is depicted as bright and faithful. He performance a critical role in the plot when he steals Harpagon's hidden treasure chest (poklad).

Frosina is a matchmaker (dohazovačka) characterized as calculating and eloquent. Her initial goal is to help Harpagon secure Mariana purely for the purpose of financial gain. However, once she realizes she will not receive any money from him, she changes sides and begins to assist the younger characters.

Jakub acts as Harpagon's coachman and cook. His story serves as a warning about the cost of honesty; when he tells Harpagon the truth, he is beaten for it (výprask). Consequently, he seeks revenge by falsely accusing Valér of the theft of the money box.

Anselm is a figure central to the resolution of the plot. He is a wealthy old nobleman to whom Eliška was promised. At the conclusion, it is revealed that he is the long-lost father of both Valér and Mariana. He is characterized as generous, understanding, and just, ultimately agreeing to financially secure the weddings for his newly found children.

Narrative Structure and Plot Evolution

The plot centers on the extreme stinginess of Harpagon, whose obsession with his money leads to absurd situations and the total destruction of his family relationships. Conflict arises when Harpagon plans to marry his young ward, Mariana, unaware that his own son, Kleant, is in love with her. Simultaneously, his daughter Eliška is involved with Valér, the house steward.

The plot reaches its climax when Harpagon loses his treasure chest (pokladna), which had been hidden by Štika in Harpagon's garden. This loss causes massive chaos and leads to the exposure of various hidden relationships and secrets. The resolution occurs when the true identities of Valér, Mariana, and Anselm are revealed. Harpagon ultimately agrees to the marriages of his children under the strict condition that his money box is returned to him.