The Miser

The primary theme of The Miser is, not unexpectedly, the dangers of greed. There are many parts of Harpagon’s life that are overcome by his love of money. He is filled with a deep and persistent feeling of paranoia, always afraid that someone is going to steal his money. His miserly ways also leave him “the butt of a thousand jokes, all about how mean [he is]” (35). His children despise him, and his household suffers at the hands of his greediness.

Harpagon lives in a constant state of fear that he will be robbed. After he interrogates poor La Fleche and forces him to empty out each of his pockets, he talks about how he is afraid of leaving his money in the bank, and has instead buried it in the garden. He then thinks of several ways his money could be taken from him there, and his confidence wanes. When he hears his children approaching, he says, “Oh Lord, I’ve been overheard! (He slaps himself sharply across the cheek.) Calm, Harpagon, be calm” (13). Harpagon is driven to the point of anxiety at nearly all times, which is one of the first dangers of greed.