Tartuffe Paper

The play Tartuffe is a theatrical comedy play by Jeane- Baptiste Moliere written in 1664. Moliere’s Tartuffe is regarded as one of the most famous theatrical play ever made. The play talks about a wealthy man named Orgon and his family in France. Orgon and his mother Madame Pernelle accept a religious devotee named Tartuffe in Orgon’s household without his family’s acceptance. Orgon’s family knows that Tartuffe is a liar and a manipulator while Orgon and his mother see him as a pious and holy man. Tartuffe’s plan is to have Orgon’s full faith and acceptance, successfully seduce Elmire, Orgon’s wife, and to spoil Orgon’s daughter’s engagement to Valere. There are many themes that can be related to the play Tartuffe. Themes like sin, religion, and romance are all common when analyzing the play Tartuffe. Hypocrisy, however, is a theme that I believe is the best theme that describes the play and is the underlying theme that Jeane-Baptiste Moliere wanted readers and audiences to understand how far an individual is willing to go, to deceive, and to contradict, in order to gain and steal worldly possessions of others.

The definition of hypocrisy is the state of falsely claiming to possess virtuous characteristics that one lacks. (Dictionary) It deals with the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie. It is stated many times in the play that Tartuffe is a hypocrite. A hypocrite is a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees and contradicts with those beliefs. There are many examples throughout the play that indicated that Moliere used the theme of hypocrisy in his play Tartuffe.

In the play Tartuffe, Moliere emphasized the theme hypocrisy before the main story of the play begins. Before the character of Tartuffe even appeared, Orgon’s family knows that Tartuffe is a liar and a hypocrite. We know this for a fact because when Orgon tells his family that he has invited Tartuffe into their household, the family reacts in a negative way. Damis, Orgon’s son, says, “Good God! Do you expect me to submit to the tyranny of that carping hypocrite?” (1.1.18) The rest of the family, including Orgon’s wife, Elmire, his daughter Mariane, and their housemaid, Dorine all feel the same way about Tartuffe and how he is a very cunning individual and a hypocrite. Even though the play is written about Tartuffe and it’s named after him, he does not appear in the book until the third act. Moliere does this for a reason because he wants the character of Tartuffe to be described and perceived by the viewers and readers as a hypocrite and a liar. By delaying his entrance, the reader/audience goes by what the other characters in the story think about him.

The author, Moliere, highlights the hypocrisy of the character Tartuffe in Act 3 scene 3 when Tartuffe has an interesting conversation with Orgon’s wife, Elmire. In this scene, it starts with a friendly conversation between Tartuffe and Elmire, then the social environment around suddenly changed. Tartuffe professes his love for her and says that he wants to have a secret relationship with her. In scene 3 of act 3, Tartuffe says, “I even schooled my heart to flee your beauty, thinking it was a bar to my salvation. But soon, enlightened, O all lovely one, I saw how this my passion may be blameless, How I may make it fit with modesty, and thus completely yield my heart to it. Tis I must own, a great presumption in me to dare make you the offer of my heart; my love hopes all things from our perfect goodness, and nothing from my own poor weak endeavor.” (Act 3 scene 3 pg 69) This conversation between Tartuffe and Elmire is a perfect example of how Moliere shows hypocrisy in his play. The character of Tartuffe is supposed to be a religious devotee who is not supposed to be married or have any romantic relationships, especially with another man’s wife. By attempting to seduce Orgon’s wife, he is contradicting what he preaches that he is all about. He even knows that people of his position are not supposed to do such things so he tries to tell Elmire to keep it a secret. “Then too, with me your honor runs no risk; with me you need not fear a public scandal.” (Act 3 Scene 3 pg 71)

Moliere shows how Tartuffe is a liar by his quick thinking and his manipulation when Damis catches him trying to seduce Elmire. When Tartuffe was talking and ultimately seducing Elmire, Damis was hiding in the room and eavesdropping. Damis heard every word Tartuffe said and came out to confront Tartuffe as a fraud. When Orgon arrives home soon after, Damis tells Orgon the truth about Tartuffe and put an end to this nonsense. Damis tells Orgon, “Father, we’ve news to welcome your arrival, that’s altogether novel, and surprising. You are well paid for your caressing care, and this fine gentleman rewards your love most handsomely, with zeal that seeks no less than your dishonor, as has now been proven. I’ve just surprised him making to your wife the shameful offer of a guilty love.” (Act 3 Scene 5 page 73) After what Damis has just told Orgon, Tartuffe is able to act quick on his feet and use reverse-psychology by acknowledging his sin and confessing to Orgon that he is indeed a sinner as the rest of them. Tartuffe states in the play,