The Miser, Moliere

Harpagon is an odious and miserly old man. So miserly that he's ridiculous, to the point of taking his neighbor's cat to court for eating the remains of a leg of lamb! And miserly to the point of being sordid. Doesn't he try to lend money at an exorbitant rate, money he refuses to give to his own son? Isn't he willing to sell his daughter to anyone who will take her without a dowry? As for his supposed attraction to Mariane, it doesn't stand up to his fascination with gold. Perhaps Molière's most famous comedy, The Miser is largely inspired by Aulularia, a play written in the 3rd century BC by the Latin poet Plautus.