It has been said by certain of his contemporaries that in all the characters of his comedies he has but embodied himself, that they all have “the imprint of the style precieux, for which he has been reproached with so much reason in his novels and in his comedies,"[124] and that all,—­“masters, valets, courtiers, peasants, lovers, mistresses, old men, and young men have the esprit of Marivaux."[125] To this accusation he makes reply in these words, quoted by d’Alembert:  “On croit voir partout le meme genre de style dans mes comedies, parce que le dialogue y est partout l’expression simple des mouvements du coeur:  la verite de cette expression fait croire que je n’ai qu’un meme ton et qu’une meme langue; mais ce n’est pas moi que j’ai voulu copier, c’est la nature et c’est peut-etre parce que ce ton est naturel, qu’il a paru singulier."[126]

Both the accusation and the reply are somewhat justifiable.  With all the diversity that may be found in his different characters, there is yet a similarity of sentiments and of expression, which is due, not to a desire of representing himself in his plays, but to looking for models to a society the very natural of which was artificial, and to looking always from one point of view.  To the careful student of the human heart the infinite variety that Marivaux has known how to introduce into his characters, which are always clearly distinct from one another, even if by mere delicate shades of difference, is a greater cause for wonder than the general family resemblance that unites them all.[127]

The roles of women are the important ones in the works of this author.  In this particular the comedies of Marivaux recall the tragedies of Racine.  Brunetiere[128] goes so far as to claim that “the roles of women in Marivaux’s drama are almost the only women’s roles” in the whole repertory of French comedies.  Of Moliere’s drama he recognizes only three such roles as clearly individualized, those of Agnes, Elmire and Celimene.  “The others, whatever their name—­Marianne, Elise, Henriette —­are about the same ingenue, or—­Dorine, Nicole, Toinon—­ about the same soubrette.”  Marivaux excels in his portrayal of the ingenue and of the coquette, but perhaps no role is more sympathetically developed than that of the young widow, now tender and yielding like Araminte of the Fausses Confidences, now vivacious and positive, but no less kindly, like the countess of the Legs.

His soubrettes resemble closely their mistresses, to such a degree that by exchanging roles they may readily be mistaken for them, as we have seen in le Jeu de l’Amour et du Hasard.  Unlike those of Moliere, they are always refined and graceful, and are none the less witty.  Contrary to their more cautious mistresses, they all, or nearly all, believe in love, and seek to further the marriage of the former.  Lisette of le Legs is an exception.  In short, all of the younger women of Marivaux are the perfection of grace, beauty, delicacy, wit or artlessness, and are simply irresistible.