Alceste, the misanthrope of the title, is disgusted by the hypocrisy, injustice, and overall corruption in human society. Alceste's concern with the issue of justice has to do with the fact that he is embroiled in several lawsuits, the outcomes of which are determined not by which party is in the right but by who has the most influence in court. Nonetheless, Alceste is in love with Celimene, a young widow with a reputation for flirtation and for surrounding herself with suitors and who is a prime example of the insincerity that Alceste despises in others. The Misanthrope is concerned with themes of honesty and hypocrisy, justice and injustice; the manipulative social games people play; and the conflict between the individual and society.