Damned by Desire

The plays Tartuffe and Faust might not appear to have much in common at first glance. Tartuffe tells of the downfall of a hypocrite, leaving the main characters better off than they were at the start, while Faust is a tragedy that gets worse at every turn. Even so, these two plays share a common thread: the sexual desire of characters. This sexual desire is a driving force behind the plot of both of these plays. The characters of Tartuffe and Faust depict the lengths mankind will go to to attain the object of their desire, and how their actions result in their downfall.

Tartuffe's strong desire to have Elmire is only introduce in Act 3, and soon overshadowed by his plans to take Orgon's Estate. Despite this, it is a pivotal scene that reveals the true nature of his character. Up until this point, he is seen as a hypocrite strictly because he is controlling. The reader can only draw conclusions about Tartuffe based on what other characters say about him. It is not until his scene with Elmire that a true judgment can be made about him. This is where his hypocrisy is revealed. He professes his love to Elmire in a way that makes him look absolutely ridiculous. He relays that he is quite passionate in his sexual desire for Elmire. He says that he first found these feelings to be sinful and was afraid of them, but now he sees his passion as truth and beauty. She reacts quite surprised, saying “But I'm surprised you want the things you want. It seems your heart could use a talking to – It's living in the chest of someone who proclaims to be pious” (Tartuffe, act 3.3, lines 91-93.) Elmire relays what the reader is thinking at this point. No truly righteous man would be trying to seduce his master's wife.

This is where Ta...

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..., his desires drive him to make his deal with Mephistopheles. Which kicks off the entire narrative. His sexual encounter with Gretchen results in her mother's death, her conviction as a whore and murderer, and causes the death of her brother as well. Unlike Tartuffe, Faust faces no consequences for the despair that he causes Gretchen.

Despite their differences, the two characters hold a common theme. They both go to ridiculous lengths in order to fulfill their desires, and these desires cause trouble for them and others. In the case of Tartuffe, his advancements towards Elmire are what oust him as a hypocrite to Orgon. Faust pursues Gretchen with the goal of sexual fulfillment, no matter the cost. He ruins this girl's life in pursuit of what he wants. Both characters' sexual desires play a prominent role, and the consequences aren't good for either of them.