Don Juan's Libertinism in Molière's Play: Self and Damnation
This paper examines the concept of libertinism as expressed through the character of Don Juan in Molière's Don Juan. Drawing on exchanges between Don Juan and his valet Sganarelle, as well as the Don's treatment of women such as Charlotte and Elvira, the essay argues that Don Juan's assertion of self — through sexual conquest, rejection of social custom, and contempt for moral or supernatural authority — ultimately constitutes a form of self-destruction. The paper traces how the play presents libertinism as a gateway to damnation, culminating in Don Juan's unrepentant descent into Hell, while also acknowledging the comic appeal the character holds for audiences throughout the play.
- Introduction: Defining Don Juan's Libertinism: Libertinism defined through Don Juan's own words
- Sexual Conquest and the Rejection of Social Custom: Don Juan's pleasure-seeking defies social and moral norms
- Don Juan as Predator: Sganarelle's Running Commentary: Sganarelle frames the Don as a serial predator
- Libertinism as Self-Destruction: Selfish assertion of self leads to ruin
- Conclusion: The Wages of Unrepentant Pride: Don Juan's damnation as the price of libertinism
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- The paper anchors its claims directly in the text, quoting specific acts and scenes to support each analytical point rather than relying on unsupported assertion.
- It balances two readings of Don Juan simultaneously — the charming comic anti-hero and the destructive libertine — giving the argument genuine complexity.
- The concluding move, linking libertinism to self-destruction rather than merely social transgression, lifts the essay beyond plot summary into thematic interpretation.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates close reading with thematic synthesis: individual quotations from the play are not merely cited as proof but are interpreted in relation to a controlling idea (libertinism as pride leading to damnation). The treatment of Sganarelle's aside about Charlotte as both comic device and moral commentary is a good example of how the author uses a single moment to carry multiple analytical functions.
Structure breakdown
The essay opens with a focused definition of libertinism drawn from both Don Juan's own words and Sganarelle's observations. It then develops the argument in three analytical movements: Don Juan's pursuit of pleasure as deliberate transgression; his role as predator in relation to specific female characters; and the paradox that self-assertion equals self-destruction. The conclusion synthesizes these threads by cataloguing the forms libertinism takes across the play before arriving at the irony of Don Juan's end.
Introduction: Defining Don Juan's Libertinism
In Molière's Don Juan, both Sganarelle and Don Juan himself discuss the title character in a manner that is consistent with the concept of libertinism. For Sganarelle, his master is one who rejects the social mores of his day for the pleasure of his own conquests, no matter who or what is hurt in the process. For Don Juan, his adventures are rationalized in a diatribe against conventional morality that pits his own desires as the arbiter of what is good — for himself — regardless of what has been said in the past about the concept of virtue: "How absurd to make a specious virtue of fidelity, and bury oneself forever in a single passion, and be dead from youth onward to all the other beauties by whom one might be dazzled!" (Act 1, Sc. 1, p. 14). In this declaration, Don Juan emphasizes his libertine desire to pursue multiple sexual partners rather than settle for one. His squire comments that "to love in all directions" as Don Juan does is to act shamefully (Act 1, Sc. 1, p. 14) — a reproach that merely elicits scorn from Don Juan, bearing out the fact that his character resents any concept of morality that places self-denial at the core of its system.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.