- Read Moliere’s Tartuffe. Please plan to have completed the reading before our Zoom call on Wednesday. You can find the text in Volume D of your Norton Anthology, or you can use the link I’ve posted under the “Readings” tab on our blog if you don’t have the books yet.
- I have recorded a mini-lecture to provide you with some literary and historical context for Moliere’s play. Click HERE to access the recording. If it asks you for a passcode, use: CP75m#!d . Please watch this recording and share either one takeaway from my remarks or one question as a comment on this post. If you encounter any technical difficulties accessing this video, please let me know immediately. This is a video I recorded in September, but the information I share in it hasn’t changed!
- I have posted a set of discussion questions about Tartuffe in a separate post here. Please respond to any two questions by Wednesday, February 10th and then read and comment on any two of your classmates’ responses by Friday, February 12th.
- Please read your classmates’ introduction posts on our blog and respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Friday, February 12th.
- Watch this scene from a staged production of the Tartuffe. How does the comedy work in this scene? What do you think of this portrayal of Tartuffe? Be prepared to discuss this on Wednesday.
Assignments – Week #2
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I find it interesting how this play by Moliere back in the 17th century seemed as disrespectful towards the king. If they found it disrespectful, perhaps they saw a fit in this play compared to how it was ruled back then.
Yes, even in the 17th century, art was used as a vehicle for social and political critique, but because it was a monarchy, LouisXIV was able to ban the play when he saw that it could be seen as being critical of him!
I have a question why in that country the women was not afraid of men, and not even try to respect to men, and using the joke way to talk to the men?
Well, as Moliere has depicted them, the women are stronger and more clear-eyed than some of the men, so that women like Elmire and Dorine feel very confident about asserting themselves.
Does Neo classical drama count as a faster pace drama due to the fact the the whole time of the play is taking in a 24 hour manner?
I don’t know how the audience perceived it, but the performances were not dragged out, so perhaps you are right!
While reading it, I didn’t realize that it was using satire as a way to criticize the political system of divine absolutism, King Louis the 14th abdicating control of France over to the cardinal and how it compared to Oregon giving up his power as the man of the house to Tartuffe.
This play was very interesting in the 17th century and how the characters in the play was treated very disrespectful and people back then had a lot of power as a ruler and it has more power than people and have a high importance.
I think it’s kind of funny that a comedy always ends in marriage like you stated because marriage is really not that funny. Regardless, everything else in the play was pretty funny.
Well, another way of thinking about how comedies end during this period is that they usually end with the restoration of order. In that world, marriage is part of that order, pairing people off with appropriate spouses and ensuring the continuation of the family “story.”
Something that I found really interesting about this play was that it took place in one setting, they do tell us about how Orgon met Tartuffe at the church but they don’t describe the setting at much, if Moliere wanted, he could’ve taken Orgon to the prince but instead everything took place in the same setting which was their house, even the police officer came to the house. It gives a clear understanding a better picture of the sort as everything is happening in one place, the reader becomes more comfortable with the setting of the story.
Given that it was the 17th century, it is highly unlikely that the King had to approve all the plays he was a part of because that would be a mere headache, so the only way The King would’ve found out about the first version was if some people had read it and it gained attention. Banning the first version of the play would’ve just made people more curious or intrigued and grabbed more attention. People at the time who had not read the first version would’ve just been more eager to read it so they could answer the question that what was written in it that King had to ban it.
The king was aware of it because it was performed at his palace!!!
I found it super interesting that there are only two types of neoclassical drama. With so many stories to tell, how is that every story there is can be categorized by two types. And if cannot, why aren’t there more types?