Act 5, Scene 3 Summary

Eliante and Philinte enter. Eliante is not at all sympathetic to Celimene. She says she would prefer that Celimene speak her mind. Alceste and Oronte say she must speak now, but then they say they will understand her silence, too.

Act 5, Scene 3 Analysis

When they can't make her speak, Alceste says he'll understand if she doesn't. This has been the problem all along. Where she is concerned, he tries to believe whatever he wants to be true.