— Discuss the theme of appearances or masks in Tartuffe? Who wears a mask? For what purpose? How does the issue of appearances vs. reality connect with the central concerns of the play?
— Discuss the role of Dorine, Mariane’s lady maid. What kind of servant is she? What role does she play in the action of the drama? What might Moliere be saying about “class” in this play?
— How is the institution of marriage treated in Tartuffe? What are some of the models or ideals of marriage that are raised by Moliere or his characters?
— Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
— Moliere wrote Tartuffe in verse, using rhyming couplets throughout the play. How do you explain that stylistic choice? What effects does it create?
— Describe one aspect of the play that seems very modern to you and one that seems very dated or old-fashioned.
Moliere, Tartuffe
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This is my comment.
Discuss the role of Dorine, Mariane’s lady maid. What kind of servant is she? What role does she play in the action of the drama? What might Moliere be saying about “class” in this play?
She is a low class servant that is always on Mariane’s side even through all the hypocrisy of Tartuffe. She serves as the same reaction as us the audience would have which is disbelief that Orgon and Madame Pernelle are still falling for Tartuffe’s deceit. Since Dorine is a servant she is expected to be less than wise compare to the people she serves under, however she is really wise in this story as to how she helps Dorine and comes up with ways to cheer her up and prevent any further damage caused by Tartuffe. She reconciled the mishap between Dorine and Valere after Dorine was trying to be obstinate about being a good girl to her father.
Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
Orgon is a character that is way too extreme and uncontrolled according to Cleante. He believes in the piety of Tartuffe that it blinds all his logic and reasoning to the point where nobody can convince him. Even his mother Pernelle wasn’t even convinced by her own son with the evidence. He wanted to be of a utmost pious man however he indulged in it too extremely which allowed him to hate it after finally realizing that he is being deceived by Tartuffe. Then he goes to another extreme to hating all religious or holy men because of this but thankfully his brother in law Cleante gave him reasoning not to be judgmental in a general fashion and to look at a broader perspective.
I think Orgon is not relieable, because he can not make his own decision, he just follow other people said or heard from other people, he can not make his own decision. And also I agree with what you said about Orgon
Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
The character of Orgon is he cannot be trusted and he believes in anything that he hears or see by others. Orgon is vulnerable to Tartuffe because Orgon cannot make decisions himself and let the blame to get to him. Tartuffe uses Orgon as an opportunity to fix the rights and the wrongs he made. He made Orgon to do anything he wanted and he got exposed for he really was as a person.
Discuss the role of Dorine, Mariane’s lady maid. What kind of servant is she? What role does she play in the action of the drama? What might Moliere be saying about “class” in this play?
The role of Dorine is she not afraid to say her opinions and she is her own person. The kind of servant she is she doesn’t keep her thoughts to herself and she talks them out. Dorine is very smart and doesn’t fall for anyone tricks and she is a good servant in the household. The role she plays in the action of the drama is to look out for Orgon’s family. Moliere might be saying about class in this play is all people come from different classes as wealthy or poor.
I also believe Dorine is really smart. I really like her character and how Moliere gave her a personality full of opinions that made her admirable regardless of her being a maid and less wealthy.
You are absolutely right about Dorine! That is why Dorine is everyones favorite character. Although these characters are meant to be flat and two dimensional, I think the simplicity and purity of her character is what makes her so appealing to the audiences.
— Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
Orgon does things extravagantly and doesn’t think rationally. When he decides to follow a pious life, Oregon trusts Tartuffe with everything despite his family raising concerns, he decides to blindly follow the “religious path” lead by Tartuffe. Then, when he finds out about the betrayal by Tartuffe, he despises all pious men. I think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe because he truly believes Tartuffe is a religious figure who could do no harm to anyone. Orgon had been wanting to escape from his responsibility towards his family, therefore, bringing Tartuffe to his home and his family would make it like a heaven with Tartuffe presence.
— Describe one aspect of the play that seems very modern to you and one that seems very dated or old-fashioned.
One aspect of the play that seems very modern to me is the usage of satire and political hypocrisy. Even today, artists and media uses satire and humor to point out things that are ridiculous. Also, there are too many people like Orgon who are willing to follow their own beliefs without thinking rationally and analyzing. One thing that seems very out-dated is the topic of monarchy and absolutism. In today’s world, kings aren’t looked upon as someone sent by God and they aren’t the ones making laws.
I agree with what you said about the play that seems very modern, went I read to there I also feel modern.
The play was during the modern times and the tones and the language used in the play are very different than regular plays or readings.
-Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
Ans: I think Organ can not let people believe him, because he does not have his own decision, he can no0t making his own decision, he trust everythung that he see and hear, he does not have ability to distinguish right or wrong. The reason why he is so vulnerable to tartuffe is because he think tartuffe will not hurt him, hi did everything that tartuffe said.
— Moliere wrote Tartuffe in verse, using rhyming couplets throughout the play. How do you explain that stylistic choice? What effects does it create?
Ans: In this reading each line have twelve syllables, and the last words is rhymes, I think the author using this way to make the reading more funny, not like really long story. I think this will effect the reader want to continue to read, make the reading more funny, and also know what the author are talking about, using each line only have twelve words is hard and making that twelve words understandable is even more harder, I think this will make the store more funny.
I also agree with you that Orgon is easily influenced and he trusts everything he sees and hears. And I think the rhyming did make the reading a bit more funny and easy to read.
I agree with you that Orgon does not use his thinking and he doesn’t go with his decisions. He believes everything that he sees and hears and he trusts people with their thoughts.
I also believe that Orgon’s character is easily influenced because he cannot make his own decision. Also, I like that you pointed out on the stylistic choice of Moliere, and the reason behind it which was to have a greater affect on the readers and to make the play funnier.
Discuss the role of Dorine, Mariane’s lady maid. What kind of servant is she? What role does she play in the action of the drama? What might Moliere be saying about “class” in this play?
I truly enjoyed Dorine throughout the play. I think that although she is meant to be a servant, she is valued highly in the family. She is like a mother figure to Orgon’s children and a friend to his wife. She plays a witty and also very wise role and does not hold back on her opinions. She was probably one of the most important characters due to the big influence she had on proving Tartuffe to be the man he really is, which in turn allowed Orgon’s daughter to marry the man she actually loved. Even though Dorine is in the lower class, she still has a strong opinion and seems to be very intelligent.
How is the institution of marriage treated in Tartuffe? What are some of the models or ideals of marriage that are raised by Moliere or his characters?
I think marriage in the case of Mariane was treated as a business deal. Orgon wanted her to wed Tartuffe so that he can join the family and be the heir to all of Orgon’s wealth. Marriage was seen as a way for Mariane to please her father’s wishes and keep a good image to the public as her being a good daughter despite the fact that she would have to give up her actual love. In the case of Orgon and Elmire, it seemed to me that Elmires role in life was to please her husband and obey his wishes or that she would lose her honor.
I agree that although Dorine is from a lower class, her equation with Mariane and her children makes it easier for her to speak her mind because they all love and respect each other. Also, yes, marriage in this story seemed like a business deal amongst each other to fulfill someones desire.
I also agree on how marriage is treated like business deal, even though I do not really like how it is portrayed. But I guess it was how things were back then and I am glad things are a little different now.
— Discuss the theme of appearances or masks in Tartuffe? Who wears a mask? For what purpose? How does the issue of appearances vs. reality connect with the central concerns of the play?
The appearance of Tartuffe is “a holy man,” and also is a transcendental, pensive, and pious scholar. Actually, Tartuffe is greedy for food, sleep, money, and lust, and was a very cruel sinful person. He plays as a pious friar who just wants money and goods from Organ. The appearance will be exposed to reality sooner or later.
— How is the institution of marriage treated in Tartuffe? What are some of the models or ideals of marriage that are raised by Moliere or his characters?
The marriage treated in Tartuffe is conservative and was decided by feudal parents. Children couldn’t choose the person they love. Moliere advocated freedom of marriage and love. Everyone can make their decisions about the marriage.
Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
-Orgon is indeed a simple man with a kind heart who believes people to be how they appear. He trusted Tartuffe with everything be it a major or minor decision only because his appearance made Orgon believe that he cannot have ill intentions. Tartuffe managed to trick Orgon in such a way that he was ready to put his entire family at stake, risking marrying his daughter to him, kicked his out of the house for him(Doris) although all he was trying to do is highlight his ill intentions. Orgon was portrayed as a man who has a very weak decision power, he had been finding an escape from all his responsibilities and him thinking Tartuffe as a very pious, smart and noble man made him give away all of his authority and responsibilities.
Discuss the role of Dorine, Mariane’s lady maid. What kind of servant is she? What role does she play in the action of the drama? What might Moliere be saying about “class” in this play
– Dorine was my favorite character, her role is what kept my attention grabbed on the story. Even though Dorine was a maid she played a very important role in the story, she basically acts as the backbone of the family, she was the one who helped Marine stay strong giving her the hope and support she required. She understood her situation and helped her marry the man she really loved. Being well aware of her position she was bold enough to argue over what she thought was wrong ,she was extremely loyal and played a role like any family member would, she helped revealing Tartuffe true intentions in all ways possible.
Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
Orgon is a very gullible person as he was deceived a little too easily and could’ve suffered severe consequences. He is a very ignorant person who doesn’t listen to what people very close to him have to say even if they are right and as a result, he is blindsided by Tartuffe. I think he was also a very inconsiderate and old-fashioned person who tried to force his daughter to marry a person she didn’t want to marry. He is a person who would easily go back on his word no matter who comes in harm’s way or suffers for it, as he agreed to marry Mariane with Valere at first but then asked Mariane to marry Tartuffe. He is vulnerable to Tartuffe because he thinks Tartuffe is a wise and pious person who will guide him to heaven. To him Tartuffe is like poor noble man. Orgon thinks of Tartuffe as a free ticket to Heaven if he does everything Tartuffe asks of him.
Discuss the role of Dorine, Mariane’s lady maid. What kind of servant is she? What role does she play in the action of the drama? What might Moliere be saying about “class” in this play?
Dorine is a sassy maid who is holding the household together and helps Mariane and Valere overcome their stubbornness. She always goes head-to-head with Orgon and Madame and speaks her mind which is not what mostly servants would do or be tolerated for. Dorine is one of the characters who sees right through Tartuffe and his wrong intentions. She is a very trustworthy person as she knows everything about Mariane. Moliere might be saying about class in this play that even though Dorine was just a servant it didn’t matter as her insight was crucial and she was one of the smartest even though she might not have been part of the wealthy family, she contributed as much if not more to their well-being and did more than just her job to protect the family. It didn’t matter to her what she would get out of just being more than a servant, at some point Orgon does try to hit her but he was not in his right mind and eluded by Tartuffe at the time.
I agree with your points on Orgon, he is very gullible and does everything Tartuffe says to get a ticket to heaven. I also agree with everything on Dorine. She seems to be a “loud mouth” and say whatever she wants even though she is a maid for the family.
Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
– Orgon is a foolish character who he puts Tartuffe and his values over his own family. Orgon is very irrational and goes from one extreme to the next. He is vulnerable to Tartuffe because he views Tartuffe as a great religious figure. He is told that he needs a spiritual leader and he acknowledges Tartuffe as one. The other characters in the play quickly realize that Tartuffe is evil and deceitful but Orgon is blinded and only sees the disciple in him.
Moliere wrote Tartuffe in verse, using rhyming couplets throughout the play. How do you explain that stylistic choice? What effects does it create?
– Moliere wrote in verses because he tried to make the play more of a comedy than a tragedy to help appease the church. The Catholic Church didn’t like the play because it was a little too realistic and many people were already bashing the Church in Europe during this time. Also rhyming helped move the play along at a faster pace that made it more funny and enjoyab
I also think that having the play rhyme made it more enjoyable and engaging, as rhyming just makes life more fun. I also liked how you mentioned that the Catholic Church saw the play as unpleasant because, like you said, it came too close to reality. This reality portrayed in the play rightly exposes and rebukes the hypocrisies and inconsistencies in the Catholic Church, and they were mostly likely very upset at that.
Discuss the theme of appearances or masks in Tartuffe? Who wears a mask? For what purpose? How does the issue of appearances vs. reality connect with the central concerns of the play?
The theme of appearances or masks in Tartuffe is actually represented by Tartuffe himself who is a “holy man” when in reality he isn’t. He is a manipulator who blames this on the fact that he’s a male. This issue of appearances vs. reality connects with the central concerns of the play when we see how Tartuffe uses Organ for his money and when Organ catches Tartuffe in his home trying to charm Elmire. These events show who Tartuffe really is versus the imagine he tries to portray to himself as a religious man.
Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
Organ was a well respected middle aged man who was infatuated with Tartuffe’s beliefs when they first met. It seems as though Organ is naive to Tartuffe’s wrongdoings and only sees good in him, although many other characters have warned Organ. This is because Tartuffe knows how to take advantage of people’s weaknesses. Organ doesn’t change his mind about Tartuffe until he sees for his own eyes what kind of person he is. This is also because of Organ’s lack of knowledge and desire to be closer to the divine. Because of this desire, he’s willing to do just about anything and wants Tartuffe to become his son in law to reap the benefits of this divine connection.
Orgon has been seen in the reading as very stubborn and I completely agree that it is because Tartuffe has a way of using people, especially by walking around with a mask the whole time pretending to be someone he is definitely not and Orgon following his leadership in order to have a slightly better chance at getting his divine connection.
— How is the institution of marriage treated in Tartuffe? What are some of the models or ideals of marriage that are raised by Moliere or his characters?
In Tartuffe, marriage is represented as a multi-dimensional institution that was subject to the use of the person arranging it. In the play, marriage is treated as a foundational bridge between two families or people, that works to connect and join wealth, and was also a way to introduce a new person to a family that could potentially better the family. For example, in Act I, Scene I, Madame Pernelle, referring to Elmire’s performance as a wife and stepmother, suggests that she is not doing as good of a job as a housewife as Orgon’s late wife. Another example of this use for marriage is when Orgon attempted to utilize marriage as a means to permanently unite Tartuffe to his family, by having Mariane marry Tartuffe. This was because of Orgon’s delusional perceptions of Tartuffe being able to better the family. But there is an additional aspect to marriage that was portrayed in Tartuffe that is not about the socioeconomic aspect, but highlights how marriage should be about two people who share a mutual and genuine love and appreciation for one another. The relationship between Mariane and Valere is an example of this, as the two are shown to have a genuine chemistry, and both try to cover up their emotions of pain and vulnerability as Mariane is told to marry Tartuffe instead of Valere. This connection introduces a more emotional side to the institution of marriage, and shows the audience how true love is a better reason to unite than to any other reason or underlying agenda.
— Moliere wrote Tartuffe in verse, using rhyming couplets throughout the play. How do you explain that stylistic choice? What effects does it create?
Moliere’s choice to use rhyming as the means of communicating in the play is used to soften and detract from the harsh criticism that he offers through his characters, and adds a comedic element to make the play more engaging. Tartuffe, being written in an era of divine absolutism, and in which King Louis XIV commissions the cardinal of the Catholic Church as one of the main leading authorities in France, might have been used to criticize the King. The cardinal, who may have been subject to hypocrisy and abusing his power, and now having influence over the King’s leadership, had the potential to make egregious impacts on France, worthy of criticism. In the play, it is speculated that Moliere raised such concerns of misguided leadership as Tartuffe, perhaps representing the cardinal, emits negative impacts on the household, because of his false religious piety, hypocrisy, and deception when guiding Orgon. The rhythmic style that was employed was used to detract from the criticism that was represented, and was also used as a means to keep the audience engaged in the play itself by adding comedy, so that such political opinions may not shine through as much. In this way, the audience would not focus so much on the politically opinionated aspect of the play, but just to enjoy the plot, and appreciate the comedic nature of animated stock characters that rhyme whenever they speak!
How is the institution of marriage treated in Tartuffe? What are some of the models or ideals of marriage that are raised by Moliere or his characters?
The idea of marriage at that time was exactly what I expected it to be. Marriage is sometimes not for the purpose of love but rather as a duty to fulfill. In the play, Mariane is being forced to give up the marriage for her true love to marry someone her father insists on marrying. I would assume, women at the time did not have the same rights as men. So it was not surprising that the marriage of a daughter needs to be approved by her father and can be canceled at any time. Mariane is sort of treated as an object and traded around as though her opinions did not matter. But at the same time, once the marriage has been set in stone, it’s not something that can be changed so easily. We can see this when Tartuffe tries to come in between Orgon and Elmire. Being an adulterer would be seen as something extremely heinous.
Describe one aspect of the play that seems very modern to you and one that seems very dated or old-fashioned.
One of the ideas that stands against time is how being reasonable affected the story. In today’s day and age especially with a lot of biased media, it is super important to be reasonable and not to get sucked into either side. Cleante shows us how being level headed and thinking for ourselves can only do as well. One of the old fashioned ideas that play throughout the play is the concept of religion being the end all be all. It was shown by how desperate Orgon needed Tartuffe, even going to the length of giving Tartuffe his house and daughter. In Orgon’s eyes, Tartuffe is very pious and can do no wrong. Orgon needed Tartuffe is kind of show him the way so he can have a golden ticket to heaven.
I find it interesting when you mentioned marriage being done as a duty to fulfill rather than marrying for the purpose of love most of the time; I completely agree since in the 17th century when this story has been written, there has been a routine of having arranged marriages and also marriages that will benefit the families financially, the majority of the time rather than having a marriage that is pure and full of love.
Describe the character of Orgon. Why do you think he’s so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
– Orgon has been described as a very stubborn person that at the beginning he has full trust on Tartuffe whom he calls brother even when everyone around is telling him that he is a bad person, however when we find out Tartuffe is a hypocrite and a liar, Orgon switches his judgement instantly on Tartuffe and all other Christian men. This can tell us how Orgon is so vulnerable to Tartuffe since he can be gullible and naïve in the sense that he doesn’t believe he can take care of his household, so he decides to bring in a strange man that predicts religion to do this job.
Describe one aspect of the play that seems very modern to you and one that seems very dated or old-fashioned.
– Maliere’s story is based upon the 17th century in which there was social classes. Mariane’s lady’s maid, Dorine, is one of the main characters portrayed in this play as the person who looks out for the other women and the one that is quick to give her opinion to her superior even when she is not asked. I believe this can be very modern as a maid is not usually seen in this type of society to be an essential part of a household when it comes to giving opinions and defying the head of the household the way she does in order to defend the other women. An event that I found very dated or old-fashioned, although it was very common in those times, the fact that Orgon gets to decide who will be the husband of his daughter, Mariane, is a very interesting topic to me since we see how there is very little say as to what Mariane wants and who she can be with since it is up to her father and who he chooses to be the inheritor of the family’s properties and money.
I agree with you, Orgon is a very flat character, whose motives and actions are highly predictable, and arguably is the reason his household was in such chaos. Its obvious that Tartuffe took advantage of Orgon’s characterisitc naivety, and although most would see Tartuffe as the reason for the disruption in the house, an even more specific and impactful point would be to realize that it is Orgon, the one who let Tartuffe disrupt the house, who allowed such chaos to happen because he was so naive.