Exactly how steamy is this story?
G
This play is not steamy: steamless, no steamo. The closest it ever comes to suggesting something sexual is when Harpagon asks Valère if he is "intimately" aware with his casket of money, and Valère—thinking the old man is talking about his daughter Élise—takes offense at the question and swears on his honor not to sleep with a woman before marriage. You could see this play with your uptight Great Aunt Mildred and not feel uncomfortable in the slightest.
To reiterate, this play is like an engine before 1698. No steam at all. You might think that's a pretty dorky joke (unless you're history nerds like us) but this will convince you how cool it is.