When a character in the play Tartuffe talks about seeing, they aren't talking about actually seeing, but understanding or believing. The problem in the story concerned with not seeing, which is what starts this sequence of events.
Orgon refuses to see the fact that Tartuffe is a hypocrite and won't believe it until he sees it with his own eyes near the end of the play. To see how dedicated to Orgon is to Tartuffe, just look at page 319. When Dorine is telling him about the sickness his wife had, Orgon's only concern is Tartuffe, who was doing very well.
The first mention of 'seeing' is on page 315, everyone except Madame Pernelle realizes that Tartuffe is a hypocrite. Even though Mariane, Elmire, Cleante, and Damis tell her that he is a fraud, Pernelle defends Tartuffe and criticises them.
You see him as a saint. I'm far less awed; In fact I see right through him. He's a fraud.
Page 321 is a conversation between Cleante and Orgon in which Cleante accuses Orgon of defending Tartuffe and saying that anyone who disagrees is in want of reverence. Which I believe means that he thinks that the accusers think that they are better than Tartuffe.
Are you so dazed by this man's hocus-pocus That all the world, save him is out of focus?...
Being blind you'd have all others blind as well... And he who sees through humbug and pretence Is charged, by you, of want of reverence
Scene 3 begining on page 336 Tartuffe's facade is nearly ruined when he doesn't realize Damis is hiding in the closet while he is confessing his love for Elmire. But lucky for Tartuffe, Orgon doesn't believe Damis and instead of just yelling at him, Orgon revokes Damis' birthright and gives it to Tartuffe. Orgon doesn't find out about Tartuffe's intentions until he hides himself listen in on the conversation between Tartuffe and Elmire. Later, when Madame Pernelle returns, Orgon tries to tell her about Tartuffe but she won't believe it.
“He’s done more than that”, says another “He’s purified him, he’s as pure as Jesus now!”
In Moliere’s “Tartuffe,” although many things and behaviors are satirized, the play focuses mainly on the issue of religious hypocrisy. Whereas Tartuffe is the obvious hypocrite and antagonist who represents those members of society who preach religious piety but do not themselves live by the morals they try to force upon others, Orgon is the complex character through whom this religious hypocrisy is channeled. In the beginning of the play it is hinted that Orgon is perceived as an honorable and respected man by his family and friends, but then through out the play the question raises why he has become such an absurd and unusual person. It seems that Orgon is the type of character who can no longer participate successfully in society and who then retires from society and attacks it. This can also be seen in his mother, Madame Pernelle. Orgon, having reached late middle age, needs to attach himself to a religious person, who beli...
The play exemplifies the irony on how much Orgon idolizes Taruffe and has a great admiration for him for being a religious man. He sees Tartuffe as an example of human being and as he believes he is in need of assistance, then offers his help and opens the doors to his house
In Tartuffe, Orgon illustrates what happens when we allow society's image of our lives to dictate our own self-image. In the 1600's a society existed in which social conventions held individuals more responsible for their public images than for their private lives. Individuals were deemed worthy or unworthy by the image they projected in their public lives. Orgon had shown himself to be worthy to society by having supported the kingdom in a civil war, "By these decrees, our Prince rewards you for / Your loyal deeds in the late civil war,". (5.7.79 -- 80) However, Orgon recognized that he had tarnished his public image and made questionable his loyalty to the kingdom by accepting and secretly hidden private papers of a friend that had been exiled. "My poor friend Argas brought that box to me / With his own hands, in utmost secrecy; / 'Twas on the very morning of his flight. / It's full of papers which, if they came to light, / Would ruin him -- or such is my impression." (5.1.7 -- 11) Orgon felt great guilt due to this presumed indiscretion, "Those papers vexed my conscience." (5.1.13) His image of how society viewed him had lessened and his self image followed suit. Image being everything the damage must be repaired.
... small thing can cause the family to fall apart, which is why it is always vital to remain faithful and true to one another. In a patriarchal family, just like in Tartuffe and Phèdre, the loyalty of the head of the family is the most significant and can cause the greatest suffering, when it is placed in people outside of the family. Both Orgon and Thésée learned that believing in the words of outsiders like Tartuffe, whose only loyalty was to himself, and Oenone, whose loyalty lay with only one person instead of the whole family unit, can cause the family to fall apart and result in tragic deaths. Hence the message of these plays is one’s loyalty to family that ensures the happiness of all like in the case of Orgon, who realized his mistake in time and was saved by the king. Unfortunately for Thésée, his realization came too late and paid a very heavy prize for it.
In the story, Tartuffe a man by the name of Orgon is very gullible and naïve towards his family. He is wrapped around Tartuffe’s finger and does whatever he demands. Tartuffe is a hypocrite that uses people to get what he wants. He has a way of getting inside people’s mind and making them believe his every word. However, Orgon’s family knows the kind of man he is and tries to warn Orgon about him, but he does not listen. It is not long after Orgon finds out the kind of man Tartuffe is when he hears him hitting on his wife. Tartuffe has power over Orgon, because he is easily convinced to do whatever he want.
Tartuffe is a play filled with humor, comedy, and satire written by Jean Baptiste Poquelin Moliere. Tartuffe focuses around a religious hypocrite by the name of Tartuffe, who tries to manipulate a friend for his estate. Moliere demonstrates how misrepresentation of religion can have unwanted repercussion. Madame Pernelle, Orgon’s mother, defends Tartuffe and leaves Orgon’s house after being aggravated and frustrated with the behavior and allegations of everyone there. Tartuffe is viewed by members of Orgon’s house as an imposter, a bigot, and a manipulator. Orgon is a wealthy yet gullible man who defending Tartuffe and is put in an awkward situation between him and his family. Cleante, Orgon’s brother-in-law, tries to keep the structure and
Moliére's Tartuffe has long been considered a masterpiece of French Literature for its powerful social commentary, finely sculptured characters and its presentation of moral theme. While Tartuffe stands soundly on its own merits, its curiosity and impact for audiences both within its own period and for contemporary productions are heightened by the history surrounding its original presentation.
This was the age of reason. People at this time began to apply rational thoughts to figure out and understand nature and to guide their human existence. In Moliere’s Tartuffe, this ideal is expressed through the character of the king. In the end, Tartuffe has brought an officer of the king back to take Orgon away. However, in Tartuffe’s attempt to get Orgon arrested, the king saw through him and reasoned that Tartuffe was the one to be accused and put to trial.
He was described as “a good man, and a man that should be listened to.” Madame Pernelle also stated, “And whatever he controls is well controlled. He would fain show you the way to Heaven; and my son ought to make you all love him” (Molière 2). Everyone else in the family does not agree with them and believe that Tartuffe is indeed a hypocrite. After Orgon gives Tartuffe his property because he is under the assumption that he would soon be his son-in law; the family is determined to prove Orgon and his mom wrong. When Damis tries to tell his father about Tartufee, he turns Orgon against his son by saying, “You had much better believe what he tells you” (Molière 29). Orgon then threatens to break Damis bones. When Orgon sees the wronging of Tartuffe with his own eyes, he realizes exactly what his family was trying to tell him. Orgon tells Tartuffe finally, “I was a long while in doubt whether all was in good earnest; but this is pushing the proof far enough” (Molière 41). I also received the interpretation from reading the play that Tartuffe, Madame Pernelle, and Orgon each showed hypocrisy throughout the play because they claimed to have certain standards and beliefs but seemed to show
Through the interactive oral I was able to explore the cultural background of the French Roman Catholic Church and Molière use of irony within his play Tartuffe. While I mostly focused on Molière and his background for my own personal essay, I collected a number of things about the French Roman Catholic Church and how Molière satirized it in his work Tartuffe. My understanding prior to the interactive oral was that Molière was not fond of religion what so ever, however, as I listened to my peers speak about their findings I was able to understand that it was not religion that Molière had a problem with. It was the idea behind it and how the people of the church were going about it that bothered Molière so much. As I learned in the interactive
Moliere was a French dramatist, writer, and actor in the 17th century during the Enlightenment Period. During this period, people slowly, but drastically moved away from religion and God and towards finding truth through reason and rationale. Although Tartuffe was criticized under “religious hypocrisy” many beg to differ that Moliere is only trying to emphasize hypocrisy and put emphasis on reason through this play. In Moliere’s Tartuffe, a comedy, he uses characters like Orgon to display the lack of reason people have, Madam Pernelle to foreshadow Tartuffe’s religious hypocrisy behavior, and Tartuffe’s hypocrisy to display the lack of religious piety that consequently results in Orgon’s poor judgment of Tartuffe. Moliere also uses another character, Cleante, to intervene and add obvious and evident
...o hallelujah to what Christ has done with one man’s obedience and denial of self.
The play was very interesting. The whole plot of the play was very intriguing. Tartuffe’s character was very hypocritical. At the time he seemed like an expert conman. He tricked the poor Orgon into taking him in and blessing him with Mariane’s hand in marriage. Tartuffe was supposed to be holier than thou and he was supposed to be able to give you salvation.
Tartuffe is a satirical theatrical comedy written by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Molière in seventeenth century France. This time period in France is characterized by an oppression of women due to the hierarchical social class system that was set into place. Fortunately, the Age of Enlightenment was forming its roots and emerging as a prominent movement at the end of the seventeenth century. Molière used his progressive outlook upon the society, in which he lived, and brought to life many emerging issues the Enlightenment transformed. Among the main concern of hypocrisy depicted by the play of Tartuffe, Molière creates an even greater social annotation in his story when he gives unconventional female characters the ability to think with reason and logic and have a voice of intelligence during a time of patriarchal domination.