Tartuffe Written Response Essay

Jean-Baptiste Moliere used comedy of manners to write Tartuffe as a means of attacking hypocrisy and corruption in the old institution of the aristocracy. Manners refer to a routine way through which a society speaks or performs its duties. Via this style, behaviors frequently reflect on well-educated, well-bred and polite persons in the community. Ideally, the comedy of manners depends on intense dialogue amongst the characters with the intention of communicating complex intelligence and wit to mimic the upper or middle classes within the audience. Hence the play will duplicate daily routines from the audience with the intention of applying satire to their gossip-hungry nature or hypocrisy. Moliere uses the style of "comedy of manners" in writing Tartuffe to portray the existence of irrational thinking within the old institution of an aristocracy and the church.

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Firstly, Madame Pernelle pays her son Orgon a visit at his home. While in Orgon's house Madame Pernelle gets irritated because household members and visitors do not give her the due respect and attention that she deserves. Later, Dorine, who is a maid at Orgon's house further fuels the anger felt by Pernelle because of making ill remarks on Tartuffe. Contrarily, Pernell views Tartuffe as a saint and admires his demeanor because he works for the church (University of Warwick 8). However, Maryanne claims to see right through him as a fraud. During this encounter, Dorine becomes the voice of reasoning while Madam Pernelle is irrational and pompous. However, at the end of the scene, it is overt that Madame Pernelle opts out of her ridiculous thinking for the wise and real character of Tartuffe.

Additionally, the contrast between rational and irrational presents itself when Cleante tries to talk Orgon from the misplaced admiration of truffle. Orgon defends his perception by stating how Tartuffe had an incredible character from the church (Devey 1). However, Cleante responds to her by saying that the praises were only sincere in a delusional way. With Orgon's thinking comes the primary fault in aristocracy, which capitalizes on following other person precepts instead of thinking for oneself.

Nonetheless, when Orgon eventually uncovered the truth regarding Tartuffe, he tells Cleante about it. He realized that Tartuffe used a fervent face as a cover-up for his wicked heart. He regrets accommodating him by comically stating that "I took him in a hunger bagger and then enough, by God! I'm through with poised men." Later, Clemente scolds him for getting involved in extremities without rationalizing (Moliere 105). Through this episode, Moliere vividly portrays the vice involved in aristocracy, which represents blindly following precepts without thinking them over. Through the passage, the importance of reasoning regardless of nobility comes to light.

Additionally, Organ displays an absolute dominance over his family members by trying to force Maryanne into marrying Tartuffe. When Maryanne resists the irrational decision from her father, Orgon uses the notion of his authority and importance of obedience to enforce the issue. He tells Maryanne that she has no option but to bow to his sound choice.

Later the interaction between Tartuffe and Elmire also reflect how proper reasoning triumphs over deceit and hypocrisy (Devey 2). Tartuffe enjoys lusting after ladies. He warns Orgon to be careful with his beautiful wife, Elmire. He comically asks Orgon to ensure the fidelity of his wife. When Orgon announces to marry off Maryanne to Tartuffe, Elmire tries to intervene even though she fails.

In retaliation, she tries to talk to Tartuffe to allow Maryanne to marry her fiance Valere. However, while Elmire approached Tartuffe for the issue, he makes improper advances at her. Tartuffe comically tells Elmire that he is ready to offer her "love without scandal, pleasure without fear." Elmire is not impressed by the inappropriate occurrences and promises to resort to discretion if Tartuffe would strongly advocate for the marriage between Mariane and Valere (Devey 2). In this passage, Tartuffe plays as the villain mainly when he began portraying his true colors of hypocrisy, pious fraud, and self-serving personality. On the contrary, Elmire symbolizes reasoning persons. She manages to refrain from Tartuffe's deceitful and irrational proposal. In this passage, the idea of a fat, old, middle-aged man married to the beautiful, young and attractive Maryanne is an absurd occurrence to all persons except for Tartuffe and Orgon. However, her wife planned to expose the scam that Tartuffe is by letting her husband hide under the table while she makes Tartuffe admit that he is a con artist that deceived everyone including the King.

Conclusion

The plot of Tartuffe unfolds struggles between rational and irrational persons tactfully as means of reflecting the absurdity and folly of the characters mainly through satire. Moliere uses "comedy of manners" in exposing blind trusts in an aristocracy that exists within old institutions that are worth humor biting. Moliere uses the contrast between stereotyped characters and how the public perceives them to portray satire in the upper-class persons within the society. In a sense, the wide gap between the intentions of the character and the perception they give people raises numerous questions to readers. Therefore, it is apparent that the primary way of fixing vices within the society is through the use of opposite attributes. Example, the only way of curbing dishonesty is through becoming honest and analyzing ideas before making decisions.

Works Cited

Devey, Tickel. "Tarffe By Moliere: Teacher's Notes." TartuffeTeachersNotes. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/HP15/Downloads/TartuffeTeachersNotes.pdf

Moliere, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. Tartuffe. Oberon Books, 2015.

University of Warwick. "Moliere Le Taetuffe 1669: Defining France, week 14." Coventry: University of Warwick.