Examples Of Deceit In Tartuffe

The term deceit is defined as an inclination or practice of misleading other people through lies or trickery. The word deceit has garnered a negative connotation in many people’s minds as it is commonly associated with ill intention and reserved for the antagonists of the story. However, the theme of deceit can take on a positive connotation because the authors can use deceit as a way to convey a critique of society during their time period. The author Molière, regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language, published a comedy stage play titled Tartuffe in 1664 during the reign of Louis XIV. Tartuffe was a significant work because it criticized religious fanaticism in French society by using a form of deceit called hypocrisy,

at a time when the Catholic Church was a major influence on French culture and politics. On a similar note, the author and playwright Honoré de Balzac, known for his literary works about French society following the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, published a novella in 1832 called Colonel Chabert. Colonel Chabert was significant because it focused on the drastic changes in society during the Post-Napoleonic era as well as the struggle of Napoleonic Wars veterans to adapt to a changing environment without any assistance. In both literary works, Tartuffe and Colonel Chabert utilize the theme of deceit as a way for shedding light upon the injustice in society through the characters, their dialogues, and actions.
Moliere cleverly presents the theme of deceit by using the character Tartuffe as a way to criticize religious hypocrisy in French society.

In the reading, Tartuffe is a con artist who uses religious hypocrisy as a deceit to trick Orgon and gain access to Orgon’s family and legal documents of the house. Tartuffe’s deceit is blatantly apparent to the readers and several characters in the story like Cleante, Dorine, and Elmire. In one particular scene, Orgon learns about Tartuffe’s deceit with the help of Elmire, stating “What an abominable man! I can’t believe it! I’m overwhelmed!” (Moliere 82). This scene is significant because Tartuffe represents religious hypocrisy by using his fake piety as a method to manipulate others as a way to achieve his devious goals. Moliere attacks this idea of religious hypocrisy because he views it as a danger to French society. In the journal article titled “Tartuffe, Religion, and Courtly Culture,” the Emanuel S. Chill explains how the character Tartuffe is based on a group of religious people in France called the Cabale des Devots” (156). The Cabale des Devots was a fundamental Catholic group that persecuted the Huguenots, the protestants, in France by depriving them of their rights, leading to the mass emigration. Furthermore, the historical event is mirrored in Tartuffe when Orgon and his family are nearly evicted from their house. Moliere uses this part of the story to reinforce his idea that religious fanaticism is dangerous by inserting

his experiences with religious hypocrisy. Moliere’s criticism proved to be true when the Cabale des Volt pressured Louis XIV to discourage the public showing of Tartuffe (Chill 155). Fortunately, public opinion turned against the Devots, and the group was phased out of popularity in 1660 (Chill 152). To conclude, the character Tartuffe embodies the idea of religious hypocrisy through his actions and dialogue with other characters, similar to the charlatans during Moliere's time period.
In a similar fashion, the character Cleante plays a crucial role in pointing out Tartuffe’s deceit through dialogue while serving as Moliere’s response to the critics.

In the plot, Cleante is Orgon’s brother-in-law and his main characteristic is being the person who plays the voice of reason in the chaotic situation. To prove this, the journal article titled “The Explicator,” describes Cleante as having the “‘ability to see things clearly is reflected in his ironic comments to Tartuffe’” (Saur 10). Because of this characteristic, Cleante can be viewed as the character who channels Moliere’s thoughts regarding religion. In the journal article, Saur discusses the extent to which Cleante is a “‘mouthpiece of the author’” (9). Saur’s comment can be proven true with relative ease. For example, Cleante discusses with Orgon about Tartuffe, stating “I’m talking about those sanctimonious fellows who use religious zeal to fatten their bank accounts, who attach themselves to the Court while preaching austerity, who adjust their piety to fit their vices. (Moliere 18). In this excerpt, Cleante refers to Tartuffe as a deceptive person who manipulate others by using religion as an excuse. As discussed previously, Moliere makes reference to the real life counterpart, the Cabale des Devots, who uses Christianity as an excuse to carry out their devious plans. In addition, The author inserts himself indirectly into the story by utilizing Cleante as a way to address his opponents’ criticism.

The primary criticism that Moliere’s detractors charge him is that he harbors anti-religious thoughts. In response, Moliere indirectly addresses this condemnation through Cleante by stating that he knows the difference between genuine piety and religious falsehood, and that his opponents are the latter of the situation. Therefore, the author charges that his detractors are the ones compromising religion, abusing religion to fit their selfishness. In brief, Moliere successfully defends his stance against the critics and accuses them of violating religion for their greedy desires.
In Colonel Chabert, Balzac criticizes french society for their deceitful treatment of Napoleonic War veterans. The theme of deceit plays a more subtle role in Colonel Chabert when compared to Tartuffe. For starter, The lawyer Derville describes Chabert as “pale face, ghostly, knifelike-if I may use such an odd expression-seemed almost dead” (Balzac 17). This passage is significant because it establishes that Chabert represents the countless dead and surviving veterans who fought for France. These veterans gave their blood, limbs, and lives for their country, only to have their sacrifices be forgotten by society and the french government. Society wishes to forget about this part of history as evident by Chabert being buried alive underneath his dead comrades in arms. In addition, Chabert is unable to prove his identity and overcome the legal documents that state he is dead, reinforcing the idea that society does not want him. The journal article titled “From Balzac to Iraq: soldiers, veterans, and military adaptation,” corroborates this sentiment, stating that Chabert is described as “‘pale, livid," "disfigured," and "seemingly dead’” (Martin 73), and “‘Having died for France, Chabert returns from the dead to a wife, king, and country that do not appreciate his sacrifices and are unwilling to accord him the honors he deserves" (Martin 71). In short, Balzac criticizes french society for forgetting about the sacrifices of these veterans as society moves forward.
Balzac continues his argument by using the character Countess Ferraud to illustrate the flaws in society. In the story, Countess Ferraud is Chabert’s former wife who remarried after his supposed death at the Battle of Eylau. Her character is deceptive and exploitative. For example, Countess Ferraud refuses to acknowledge that her former husband is alive because she wants to keep the money and property that she got from his “death.” By this action alone, Countess Ferraud is an immoral person who values material gain above the life of a human. Moreover, Countess Ferraud has the legal backing of the Restoration government behind her, with both parties refusing to acknowledge the presence of Chabert. Both sides benefit greatly from Chabert’s death because Ferraud would keep his belongings while the State would not have to compensate him for his military service. In the journal titled “Who's Who: Non-Characters in Le Colonel Chabert,” Sivert describes Ferraud’s actions against Chabert as “evidence of a moral failing.” (217). In addition, Sivert says that Ferraud embodies “the modern,” or french society (217). These passages are significant because the readers see juxtaposition. Chabert represents the old regime, a government signifying tradition whereas the Restoration government represents wealth.
Translation can be a difficult task because there are words or phrases that lose their original meaning when translated over into a different language. Tartuffe is no exception to this rule. For this example, a copy of Tartuffe in French is founded on the web and will be compared to the translated version by Steiner. A conversation between Cleante and Dorine demonstrates this differences of meaning. In the french text, Cleante calls Madame Pernelle “cette bonne femme” in the first act (Nancy). Upon looking up the definition, cette translates to “this,” bonne to “good” or “great,” and femme to “woman.” Cleante refers to Madame Pernelle in a respectful manner in the french translation. However, this meaning does not translate well in the English version as it is translated to “that old lady” (Moliere 8). The English translation has a negative or disrespectful tone compared to the original text. This is significant because the translation by Steiner does not fully capture the essence of Moliere, meaning readers must take the translation with a grain of salt as what the readers comprehend may not be the idea that Moliere is advocating.
Literature can be an influential source for advocating reforms in society. Novels like The Jungle and 1984 greatly affected the 20th century in numerous way, leading to the creation of the FDA and skepticism against unchecked government. Similarly, Tartuffe and Colonel Chabert served as a social criticism for each of their respective time period. Tartuffe tackles religious hypocrisy by getting readers to examine the deceitful nature of Tartuffe. In Colonel Chabert, readers witness the cruel treatments that Chabert goes through at the hands of his former wife and the Restoration government. Even more, the lessons in these two story can still be applied to today’s world. Overall, Tartuffe and Colonel Chabert are books that people should pick up and read.