Tartuffe Essay

1 Pages 349 Words

Tartuffe is a comedy by Moliere. It is about mainly a character named Orgon. Orgon is Moliere’s of how a man can be so blind in his devotion to a belief that he cannot make accurate judgment as to the sincerity of others who would use that belief to deceive him. This play fits into the concept of comedy because all of the elements of comedy are present. It happens that the title character is the villain rather than the hero and some of the elements are skewed. In Tartuffe, we have the classic comic scenario of two lovers, Valere and Marianne, trying to get together but being thwarted. However, instead of the villain, Tartuffe thwarting them, it is Orgon who gets in the way. Orgon tries to flatter Tartuffe by offering Marianne to be his wife. The other comic elements such as the unmasking of the villain and the happy ending are also present in Tartuffe. Tartuffe plays the role of a man whose greedy actions are cloaked by a mask of overwhelming piety, modesty and religious fervor. Orgon is the head of a household who has taken Tartuffe in. so present in Tartuffe. All of Orgon's relatives warn him of Tartuffe's gluttony and of the false nature of his pious proclamations. When Dorine tries to tell Orgon about Elmire's illness, all Orgon can say is, "Ah. And Tartuffe?" When she tells him of Tartuffe’s unconcern and zealous consumption in spite of Elmire's condition, he says, "Poor fellow!" Poor Orgon is so caught up in his own idealistic belief in Tartuffe's saintliness that the reality of Tartuffe's actions goes right over his head. When Damis tells Orgon that he has overheard Tartuffe's advances towards Elmire, Orgon is so outraged that he disinherits Damis and banishes him from the house. In his obsession, Orgon is mentally deaf and blind. Only when he hides under the table and hears Tartuffe's advances toward Elmire, does reality finally confront Orgon's idealism and Tartuffe is unmasked. This play shows many of the characteristics o...