**L'Avare** Harpagon is one of Molière's greatest creations. Everything about this man exudes avarice and decay. He is consumed not only by a physical illness but also by a sickness of the soul. As a usurer, he borrows at exorbitant rates and meticulously calculates the value of all the objects around him. In this dusty, bleak atmosphere, filled with fierce words, the usurious father clashes with his borrowing son. Avarice destroys love in all its forms: between parent and child, and other forms of love. The chest full of gold buried in the garden represents Harpagon's soul, heart, and being. In this encounter between a man and his chest, one finds the only tribute to love.