Moliere’s Tartuffe: Society’s portrait of the Enlightenment Era
Moliere’s Tartuffe narrates the paradoxical story of a clever impostor who, pretending religious devotion and friendship, enters into the good graces of Orgon, a foolish wealthy bourgeois, and his mother Pernelle, eager to reestablish their family moral rigor against the widespread corruption of morals. Neither his wife Elmire or other family members, including his brother in law Cléante and the maid Dorine, managed to convince Orgon regarding the hypocritical nature of Tartuffe. Furthermore, Orgon donates all his possessions to Tartuffe, to whom also gives in marriage his daughter Mariane, already promised to Valère. After many vicissitudes, though, Elmire gives to her husband …show more content…
He represents an easy prey for the charlatan who isolates him from others by teaching "to love nothing and no one! Mother, father, wife, daughter, son—They could die right now, I’d feel no pain" (Puchner 23). Evidently, the intent of Moliere is to unmask the hypocrisy of those who use religion as a smokescreen to cover their vileness. Intent that is also openly manifested in the words that Cléante aimed at …show more content…
Before and during the early Enlightenment era, women were subjugated by the will of man, relegated to being a mere human incubator and an instrument of man 's pleasure, and most of the marriage was arranged, by being subordinated to criteria of convenience. Providentially, the rise of Enlightenment brings along a new approach to reality—observed through the use of logic and reason—resulting in schools of thought such as Classical Liberalism, which state that each person possesses freedom and fundamental rights, though not everyone agrees on extending the concept of equality to women. And it is precisely this climate of sharp contrasts that Moliere stages in Tartuffe. Indeed, Orgon, apparently authoritative figure, struggles to gain respect even from Dorine, loquacious and insolent Mariane 's maid, who never misses an opportunity to express opinions and criticisms unsolicited. Hence, she certainly embodies the new role of women in the Enlightenment, as hilariously shown in the dialogue between her and Orgon regarding Tartuffe:
“ORGON And so
I’ll say this. Of up and coming men I know,
He’s not one of them, no money in the bank,
Not handsome.
DORINE That’s the truth. Arf! Arf! Be
Moliere’s Tartuffe narrates the paradoxical story of a clever impostor who, pretending religious devotion and friendship, enters into the good graces of Orgon, a foolish wealthy bourgeois, and his mother Pernelle, eager to reestablish their family moral rigor against the widespread corruption of morals. Neither his wife Elmire or other family members, including his brother in law Cléante and the maid Dorine, managed to convince Orgon regarding the hypocritical nature of Tartuffe. Furthermore, Orgon donates all his possessions to Tartuffe, to whom also gives in marriage his daughter Mariane, already promised to Valère. After many vicissitudes, though, Elmire gives to her husband …show more content…
He represents an easy prey for the charlatan who isolates him from others by teaching "to love nothing and no one! Mother, father, wife, daughter, son—They could die right now, I’d feel no pain" (Puchner 23). Evidently, the intent of Moliere is to unmask the hypocrisy of those who use religion as a smokescreen to cover their vileness. Intent that is also openly manifested in the words that Cléante aimed at …show more content…
Before and during the early Enlightenment era, women were subjugated by the will of man, relegated to being a mere human incubator and an instrument of man 's pleasure, and most of the marriage was arranged, by being subordinated to criteria of convenience. Providentially, the rise of Enlightenment brings along a new approach to reality—observed through the use of logic and reason—resulting in schools of thought such as Classical Liberalism, which state that each person possesses freedom and fundamental rights, though not everyone agrees on extending the concept of equality to women. And it is precisely this climate of sharp contrasts that Moliere stages in Tartuffe. Indeed, Orgon, apparently authoritative figure, struggles to gain respect even from Dorine, loquacious and insolent Mariane 's maid, who never misses an opportunity to express opinions and criticisms unsolicited. Hence, she certainly embodies the new role of women in the Enlightenment, as hilariously shown in the dialogue between her and Orgon regarding Tartuffe:
“ORGON And so
I’ll say this. Of up and coming men I know,
He’s not one of them, no money in the bank,
Not handsome.
DORINE That’s the truth. Arf! Arf! Be