Brent has a PhD in American culture, specializing in film studies, from the University of Michigan. She is a freelance writer and teaches courses in the history of American Cinema. In the following essay, Brent discusses the significance of French fashion, society, and politics to Molière's great comedy of manners.

Critics often note the universal appeal of Molière's plays, evidenced by his international popularity throughout three and one-half centuries. As a "comedy of manners," however, The Misanthrope is also set in the historically and culturally specific context of the fashionable upper-class Parisian elite of the Louis XIV era in France. Many references to fashion, high society, and court life thus run throughout the play. A better understanding of the history and culture of these references will enhance the reader's appreciation of the playas social satire, as well as increasing awareness of the highly...