The Miser Madness Quotes

At one point during his fit over his stolen money, Harpagon even grabs his own hand and thinks he has caught the thief. But only a second later, he realizes that it's his own hand. This mistake leads him to think that he's losing his mind, and at this point, the audience is inclined to agree with him.

For Harpagon, there's no going on without his money. As far as he's concerned, he's deader than a doornail. A sane person might think, "I'll have to make do." But not ol' Harpagon. His obsession goes way beyond the realm of rational thought, which is what makes his relationship to money so cray cray.

And heeeeeres paranoia, Johnny. Suspicion toward others is probably the number one symptom of Harpagon's madness throughout this play. He doesn't trust anyone, not even his children, to be within earshot of him when he even thinks about his hidden money. Once his money is taken, he suspects absolutely everyone in his house and the surrounding city. He doesn't seem to realize, though, that he's going to have to be reasonable and narrow down the list of suspects if he's ever going to find the culprit.