Many people misunderstand Tartuffe, and religion’s role in the comedy. When it was first performed for King Louis XIV, the initial perception was that it was a satire of religion. The result of this was that the play was initially banned. One of the reasons why the ban was lifted was that each competing faction of the church felt it was a parody of the other. In reality, the play is not a satire any one religion or of religion in general; it is a portrayal of a religious hypocrite.
Tartuffe is a the “Impostor” as a guest in Orgon’s home he attempts to seduce Tartuffe’s wife Elmire and marry his daughter Mariane. The way he does this is by first convincing Orgon of his religious piety. Once convinced of this, Orgon in his naiveté believes, Tartuffe is working with only the best intentions. Tartuffe on the other hand has used a false display of religious piety to gain the confidence of the gullible Orgon, almost to the downfall of not only Orgon himself, but that of his whole household and the forfeiture of all their worldly possessions. It is only.
Moliere’s convincing satire of the religious hypocrite and the sheep-like Orgon who believed anyone who demonstrated religious practice was motivated only by the purest intent was so convincing it almost caused his downfall. It was only by the intervention of King Louis XIV first, the churches secondly and then the increasing curiosity of the people to see anything that they were not supposed to that saved him. It did take several rewrites to bring the play into line with the moral values of the period. Perhaps this royal prerogative was something Moliere himself knowingly relied upon when he wrote the princely role of into his play as the individual who meted out justice, had Tartuffe incarcerated and saved Orgon and his household from injustice.
Works Cited
The Norton Anthology World Literature. "Introduction to the Enlightenment." Moliere. The Norton Anthology World Literature. n.d. pp. 91-104, Tartuffe pp.
