Student Question

What is the relationship between the father and son in The Miser?

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

In Moliere’s play, the miser of the title is Harpagon, the father of Cléante and Élise. Harpagon, who is a wealthy man, has an unhealthy obsession with money and wealth. This makes him a poor father, as he pays very little attention to either of his children. He is so worried about being cheated or robbed that he even suspects that his children plan to deceive him to get his fortune. He tries to behave like a poorer man, forcing his children to live frugally, such as rarely buying them clothes. In terms of his daughter’s future marriage, what matters to Harpagon is her husband’s wealth. However, she is in love with the handsome young Valère, while her brother loves his sister, Mariane. These siblings are secretly rich, but Valère is temporarily working as Harpagon’s valet.

Cléante is an affectionate but ineffectual young man who does his best not to cross his father. Because asking him for things outright is of no avail, and Cléante has developed no profession or useful skills, he tries to raise money by gambling. Knowing his father’s aversion to wasting money, he also tries to conceal his gambling habit. Cléante schemes ceaselessly to find a way to marry Mariane, hopefully with his father’s blessing but—should that not be forthcoming—by tricking his father into supporting the union. He is, therefore, horrified when his father (a widower) decides to marry Mariane. Furthermore, to raise money for his own wedding, he ended up trying to borrow money—at a usurious rate—from his father. Desperation awakens the cleverness in Cléante, who tricks his father by giving Mariane his ring and digging up and hiding his cache of money. Although, in the end, he has not won his father’s affection, he does secure Harpagon's blessing for him and Élise to marry who they love.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial