Philinte points out the trouble with being too sincere: “Now you’ve got an ugly quarrel on your hands.” Alceste refuses to budge from his position and maintains that he will renounce all of mankind. He even wants to escape from Philinte.
Commentary
The final scene brings to a close the first act and shows essentially the same relationship between the friends. Only Philinte can recognize the possible danger of making someone like Oronte into an enemy.
