During the neoclassical time period, the theaters were crowded with audiences of all social classes, ranging from kings to peasants. The playwrights of the time often had many messages they were offering to their listeners. Moliere, Shakespeare, and John Gay all carried messages regarding honor among thieves. The wide ranges of audience members each received something different from what it was that the playwright was offering, depending upon their social class.

In The Miser, by Moliere, the audience witnesses thievery through the actions of La Fleche, a servant of Harpagon. Harpagon was a greedy man, whose interest lay merely upon his fortune. Moliere tended to write satirical targets that mirrored the lives of the audience with highly exaggerated characters. Due to the verisimilitude of the characters being portrayed upon the stage, the audience could relate to the characters and learn from their lives. The upper class members of...