Use Of Religious Hypocrisy In Tartuffe

In the play Tartuffe which was written and performed by Moliere in 1664, the imposter Tartuffe insinuates himself into the family of the nobleman Orgon. Throughout the play, different members of the family try to reveal Tartuffe’s true colors to Orgon which results in a series of complex events. Through the use of Tartuffe's character, Moliere is able to express the ideologies of both anti-religion and religious hypocrisy. While these two ideas are similar there are some noteworthy differences which are important when discussing the attributes of different characters that are in the play. Moliere’s interpretation of anti-religion can be seen as opposition to any religion or specifically disregarding the moralities associated with any one religion

in general. In comparison, religious hypocrisy can be interpreted as pretending to have qualities that are associated with religious beliefs or any religion exclusively. In my opinion, Tartuffe is a play that focuses on religious hypocrisy instead of anti-religion. There are various instances in the text which convey this idea but in my essay, I will examine Tartuffe’s sins which serve as evidence for his religious hypocrisy, analyzes examples in which other characters virtuous moralities are perceived as religious belief.
In Moliere’s work, Tartuffe pretends to be a religious figure and preaches God's word in front of Orgon and Orgon’s mother but it is clear to the reader and almost everyone else in the story that he is an imposter.

To portray this, Moliere uses the seven deadly sins to emanate his religious hypocrisy. This is especially important because if the text were about anti-religion Tartuffe would not hide these sins; instead, he would act according to his true nature at all times. One example of this is in the quote “Elmire: Open the door and check because I fear My husband-just look- might be somewhere near. Tartuffe: What does it matter if he comes or goes? The secret is, I lead him by the nose. He’s urged me to spend all my time with you. So let him see-he won’t believe it’s true.” (56) In this given quote Tartuffe shows that he has an extremely strong sexual desire for Elmire, Orgon’s wife. In this scene of the text, Elmire attempts to show Orgon that Tartuffe is an imposter by revealing that he wants her sexually. This is shown as Elmire tells Tartuffe to look to see if Orgon is near, however, he is ensnared by his lust for her and doesn’t listen to her pleas. In addition to this, the aforementioned scene argues against anti-religion because Tartuffe states that he has hidden his lust from Orgon and if the text were centered around anti-religion, Tartuffe would show his true intentions. This idea is more clearly conveyed at the beginning of the text where it states

“Dorine: So “heaven” hates these visits by our Friends? I see! And that’s why Tartuffe’s gone to any ends to ruin our fun? What is it he whose zealous about “privacy”- and why? He’s jealous you can’t miss it, whenever men come near- He’s lusting for our own Madame Elmire” (17). In this part of the text Dorine, Mariane's maid argues with Madame Pernelle stating that whenever other men are around Elmire he lusts for her. She also makes a point that doesn’t pertain to lust when she discusses that even heaven hates visit by their friends, implying that Tartuffe uses religion to convince Orgon to not let friends visit their home. This also supports the claim for this play being about religious hypocrisy because the Bible repeatedly states that people should help others improve, an idea that supports religion, so it is hypocritical for Tartuffe to be against it.
Furthermore, there are more examples of religious hypocrisy specifically relating to Tartuffe that can be found in the text.

In the text, it states “Orgon: Has everyone been well? Dorine: Not quite. There was that headache Madame had the day you left. Well, it got really bad. She had a fever- … Orgon: And Tartuffe? He sat in her sight, not holding back, he ate with great delight, a brace of partridge, and a leg of mutton. In fact, he ate so much, he popped a button. Orgon: Poor man!” (21). This piece of the text serves as an example of Orgon’s appreciation for Tartuffe; the idea of which is unctuous as Orgon states later in the text that Tartuffe has taught him to love no one. This piece of the text also introduces two more seven deadly which are gluttony and sloth. In regards to gluttony, Dorine specifically mentions all of the actions that Tartuffe makes, most of which include eating, in which Orgon responds by stating how sorrowful he feels for Tartuffe when hearing this. Gluttony as a sin is described as “excessive ongoing consumption for food or drink” which evidently describes Tartuffe in this situation. While Madame Pernelle has both a headache and fever Tartuffe continues to enjoy the meal that he didn’t even obtain off his own merit. In a way, this can be seen as hypocritical as someone who preaches the word of the Lord would pray for someone to get better but instead of doing that Tartuffe simply watches her and eats. In regards to sloth in the same part of the

text, it states “Orgon: Ah, and Tartuffe? Dorine: At dinner, he grew sleepy. After eating such a meal, it’s not surprising. He slept through the night, not one arising. Orgon: Poor man!” (21). In this piece of the text, Dorine describes how Tartuffe proceeded to sleep without waking up once after eating his meal, which is a perfect example of sloth. Sloth can be discerned as either unwarranted laziness or the inability to exploit your own aptitude. Moliere obviously sees sloth as excessiveness laziness as he vividly describes how Tartuffe proceeded to sleep without a thought despite both Madame Pernelle’s and Elmires’s sickness. However, if Tartuffe truly was religious instead of being a hypocrite one could say that sloth is one of his traits. This is because instead of praying for those who live with him he decides to sleep which in itself is a sin.
In like manner, Moliere’s work Tartuffe is a play on religious hypocrisy and not anti-religion because there are examples of virtuous traits shown by many characters present in the text. Two examples of this in the text are the characters Valère and Damis. The two virtues that their characters express respectively ae fortitude and justice. In the play, Valère, Mariane’s suitor, yearns for Mariane’s love only to have his wishes rejected by Orgon who wants Mariane to marry Tartuffe. In the text, it states “Valère: Whatever happens can, you see? My greatest hope is in your love for me. Mariane: Though I don’t know just what Father will do, I do know I belong only to you. Valère: You put my heart at ease! I swear I will!... Dorine: It seems that lover’s tongues are never still” (38). In this piece of the text Valère, Dorine and Mariane attempt to create a plan in order to prevent Mariane and Tartuffe from being wed. This can be viewed as an example of the virtue fortified because it shows that Valère will go to great lengths for love. This can be compared to Tartuffe who uses his control over other people to obtain anything he wants, including love. One positive trait shown in the text is by Damis, Orgon’s son, in which Damis tries to show Orgon that Tartuffe is, in fact, a religious hypocrite. In this case, Moliere uses the character of Damis to try and convey justice as he tries to deliver justices and bring order to his own house. In the text it states “Damis: So, you have your reasons, but I have mine: To grant this fool forgiveness? I decline. To want to spare him is a mockery Because he’s more than foolish, can’t you see? This fanatic in his insolent pride, Brought chaos to my house, and would divide Me and my father- unforgivable! ... Father must hear the truth about this man. Heaven helped me-I must do what I can to use this chance. I’d deserve to lose it If I dropped it now and didn’t use it.” (44).
Hence, I surmise that Tartuffe is a play that based on the dissimulation of religion rather than irreligion. I mainly believe this because all characters in the play show traits that are either virtuous or sinful, which can be tied to religious belief and religious hypocrisy. The character the play is named after, Tartuffe, is an example of religious hypocrisy as he preaches god but only in moments where particular people are nearby or when he can use it to benefit himself. In contrast to this, characters such as Valère and Damis can be said to have a saintly personality as their actions are without sin despite them not “praising” God in the same way that Tartuffe does. In Valère’s case, he is shown to be resilient in his attempts to gain Mariane’s hand in marriage which can be seen as a contrast to Tartuffe’s lust for Elmire. In Damis’ case, he attempts to deliver justice by exposing Tartuffe to be the imposter he truly is. Finally, I believe that Tartuffe is a play on religious hypocrisy due to the fact that all character’s actions are in some way related to God. This is shown as to whether it is religious hypocrisy or falsely believing in the word of the god most of the characters are shown to have some relation to religion rather than none at all. This can even be related to the role of other types of irreligion such as agnosticism and naturalisms effect in the play Tartuffe. In conclusion, this is why I believe the play Tartuffe is a play on religious hypocrisy instead of anti-religion.