Tartuffe

Aliya Hussaini

June 5, 2006

History 1b

Prof. Norberg

TA: Latimer

Tartuffe

In his most notorious play Tartuffe, Moliиre relates the story of an attempt, by a manipulative hypocrite, to destroy the domestic happiness of a citizen who, charmed by his seeming piety, has taken him into his home as a respectable guest. The play was disallowed after its first performance because it was deemed anti-religion. However this ruling was made unfairly since true religion is never confounded with hypocrisy, but is upheld with warmth, which shows his characteristic hatred of imposture in any shape.

Through out Tartuffe, Moliиre’s play repeatedly states that there is a difference between piety for God and piety for personal gain and that he commends the former and only condemns the latter. From the very onset of the play, in the first act, Cleante, characterized as the voice of reason in the play tells Orgon, the duped main character:

A man who rules the rest by putting up such airs

Can be a hypocrite for all his fervent prayers.

When battle’s joined, and men of honour come and fight,

The quiet men are brave, the boasters may take fright;

So