Élise Timeline and Summary

Élise opens the play by appearing onstage with Valère, talking about her love for him. She reveals that he once saved her life and that she wants to be with him. But she also fears her father's disapproval and worries more generally what people will say if she marries a servant.
Élise tells Valère that in the meantime, the best thing he can do is try to make her father like him.
Élise learns from her brother Cléante that he loves a girl named Mariane. She finds out only minutes later that her father plans on marrying Mariane himself.
Harpagon tells Élise that he has decided that she will marry an older gentleman named Anselme. Élise turns down the idea gently at first, then violently when her father refuses to listen to her wishes.
Élise agrees to help Cléante in his plan to steal Mariane away from Harpagon.
In the late stages of the play, Élise learns that Valère is actually the son of an Italian nobleman, who is none other than Anselme himself. Anselme pays Harpagon enough money to satisfy him and to make sure that Élise and Valère are able to marry.