Der Menschenfeind

Molière's comedy "The Misanthrope" premiered on June 4, 1666. It is the drama of the idealist and strict moralist Alceste, who claims for himself and others the right to live completely without hypocrisy and according to the rules of sincerity and absolute truthfulness, and who can only fail in a world of courtiers and smooth flatterers. The play has inspired numerous translations and adaptations. One of the best adaptations is by Hans Magnus Enzensberger from 1979. In an incredible act of appropriation, with brilliant wordplay and scenic ingenuity, while strictly adhering to the traditional verse form, Enzensberger transforms the classic into the superficialities of our pleasure-seeking society and revitalizes its somewhat faded surfaces after more than 300 years.