
Set in a bustling Parisian townhouse, the comedy follows the tyrannical Harpagon, a man whose life revolves around hoarding every coin he can find. His two children, Elise and Cléante, are swept up in passionate romances that clash with their father's relentless penny‑pinching, while a host of scheming servants and meddling relatives add to the chaos.
The opening scenes sparkle with rapid, witty exchanges as lovers plead for freedom from parental control and Harpagon plots to protect his wealth at any cost. Through clever misunderstandings and exaggerated greed, the play exposes the absurd lengths people will go to secure both love and fortune. Listeners are drawn into a lively portrait of family intrigue, where every line crackles with humor and the ever‑present tension between affection and avarice.
Language
fi
Duration
~1 hours (100K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2014-05-15
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1622–1673
Best known for sharp, funny plays that still feel alive onstage, he turned comedy into a way of exposing vanity, hypocrisy, and social pretension. His work helped shape French theater, and titles like Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, and The Imaginary Invalid remain classics.
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