Commedia dell’arte is literally translated as a comedy of crafts, meaning the crafts of improvisation. According to David L. Hurst, “The word arte implied the incorporation of the dramatic arts; it brought together those who were authorized to perform for the counts, dukes, etc” (Nikole). The comedy is thus performed by the professionals, meaning, actors who are capable enough to improvise or perform at least self-impromptu. The quality of the play would thus by no means suffer because of its off-hand nature. Developed in Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries and flourishing since them, it may confidently be claimed as Italian traditional theatre. The use of improvisation on a previously established and rather common plot outline, as well as the use of stock characters who usually wear traditional costumes and, more importantly, masks, are among the distinguishing features of such theatre. The plays were saturated with comic effects, achieved through witty dialogues, dances, and music. It used to be something unique in terms of role and function it played in art and society of that time. According to Rudlin, “The primal energies of commedia dell’arte can successfully be released into the nocturnal, darkened rooms we call theatres, but only after their potential has been fully developed in the full light of day” (Nikole). Therefore the performances were easy accessible to the public as they could be staged even on the streets, on the stages set up outside on the temporal basis. As this type of drama was very popular, it was surely performed in the venues like palaces, too - by the better troupes who were internationally famous. Nowadays, commedia dell’arte is a popular component of drama education programs partly, highly recognized by its astonishing plot lines, simple staging and well-defined acting techniques.
While discussing commedia dell’arte, it is impossible not to mention Moliere as he contributed significantly to its fame, popularity and general development. Moreover, it was seemed commedia dell’arte which was considered to be a fundamental influence on Molière’s literary works (thesis tartuffe). Therefore this essay aims to define that mutual influence between the style commedia dell’arte and Moliere's major writing features, reflected in one of his greatest works, “Tartuffe”. Considering Tartuffe's plot, the structure and the characters, we will be able to establish certain connections between common commedia dell’arte and peculiarities of Moliere's art, as well as to trace back the sources of his inspiration and influence.
It would be noticeable to consider Molière’s background and the key factors which played an important role in his development as a dramatist, brightly represented later by his “Tartuffe”. After is education at Cleremont, Moliere had a twelve year apprenticeship as his troupe have been travelling the provinces, staging and acting different plays. This experience enabled him to become
Well equipped with the techniques and peculiarities of Greek and Roman Comedy, as well as commedia dell’arte itself. (Nikole). Molière’s troupe first success occurred in 1653 at the provincial court, where their play was observed by the prince de Conti at Languedoc, who was Molière’s former classmate (Nikole) and later became the troupe's patron, remaining the one up till 1656 as he turned to Jansenism then, having totally lost his interest in theatre. Consequently, the affect of Jansenism could also be seen in Molière works, particularly in “Tartuufe”, which was considered one of his the most controversial plays.
“Tartuffe”, staged for the first time in 1664 and performed before King Louis XIV, has managed to gain its popularity and gather a great number of admirers, thus being Moliere’s perhaps greatest accomplishment. Its piercing commentary on hypocrisy and impiety, its light-hearted wit and lucid prose, and its memorable titular character have left their mark on theater and literature. (Osborne) Greatly interwoven with the commedia dell’arte traditions and inheriting a multitude of its elements, “Tartuffe” is introduced to the audience as a creation that can confidently boast of its complexity and uniqueness, revealing Moliere's greatest dramatic talents. The further analysis of “Tartuffe” will prove that this is by far not overestimation.
In exploring the art form, three defining elements of the commedia should be analyzed, which are:
structure, characters, and use of satire. The structure, a plot sequence or, as it was commonly called, is usually driven in commedia dell’arte by the following themes: love, money or vengeance, as opposed to a scenario which will often include all three in complications of plot and sub-plot. For instance, Molière’s “Tartuffe” is based on the themes of love and marriage, as well, however, it focuses deeply on the issue of personal flaws and virtues, particularly, the hypocrisy. Tartuffe, like any hypocrite, is always able to justify his own actions:. "But soon, fair being, I became aware / That my deep passion could be made to square / With rectitude, and with my bounden duty." (3.3.27). Therefore throughout the time a word “Tartuffe” has became a part of English common vocabulary, denoting somebody with a heightened hypocrisy.
In a full commedia dell’arte scenario, which consists of three acts (among the hundreds of extant scenarios), there needs to be a proposition, a development, and a solution within each aa ct and within each scene of each act. The one might object that Moliere's “Tartuffe” can subject to its feature, as its structure is different – it consists of five, but not three acts. Not everyone would know the fact that the play was first performed as a three-act play before King Louis XIV in 1664, and then in its official five-act version in 1669. Thus the influence of commedia dell’arte's structure, even though may not be eventually visible, is inevitably present in “Tartuffe”.
While in New comedy only general features of characters are outlined, Molière’s characters have a complex set of characteristics, both specific and universal. Therefore in the play Molière “departs from the traditions of New comedy and reintroduces an element of Old Comedy, the practice of mocking recognizable contemporary figures.”
In Commedia dell’arte all characters could be divided into three categories, based on their role or social status, which are the following: masters, lovers, servants. A few exceptions could still exist, though. Main Moliere's characters could also fall under this division: the play acquaintances us with Trtuffe himself, Orgon, who comes under his great influence, Orgon's son Damis and his mother Madam Parnelle – all of them could fall under the category “masters”, Orgon's wife Elmire, and daughter Mariane, forced to marry Tartuffe - belong to category “lovers”, and Dorine and Flipote, the servants.
Commedia dell’arte reveals the characters who are stereotypical, one-dimensional, satirical and greatly caricatured, the ones who obtain so-called “stock” qualities, which means conventional, repeated, unable to learn from previous mistakes. It is notable to mention that Molière based many of his characters on the stock characters of commedia dell’arte. Such remnants of the stock characters can be clearly seen in Tartuffe as well. For example, Dorine is a derivative of the commedia character Columbina, the serving-maid who “exerts a benevolent influence on the outcome” (Rudlin 130). In “Tartuffe”, Marine's role is being a cunning manipulator, as well as a clever, witty commentator of the actions happened in the play. For example, she makes the following comments revealing Tartuffe's true behavior and his real nature: “Yes, but her son is even worse deceived; / His folly must be seen to be believed.”, “Yes, so he tells us; and Sir, it seems to me / Such pride goes very ill with piety.” This character thus helps us to gain a better perception of situation and interpret the actions of main characters in an appropriate way.
The young lovers Valére and Marianne are the embodiment of the comedia's innamorati, meaning, the lovers. However, the plot line sickens as Tartuffe comes to have certain plans on Marienne, which he clearly expresses: "To please you is my joy, my only goal; / Your love is the restorer of my soul; / And yet I must beg leave, now, to confess/ Some lingering doubts as to my happiness. / Might this not be a trick? Might not the catch / Be that you with me to break off the match / With Mariane, and so have feigned to love me?" (4.5.5)
Orgon in many ways is a variant of the Pantalone character because, like Pantalone, he “is money: he controls all the finances availablehe is the employer, giving orders to his servants, and the father,
dictating to his children, controlling the social structure which obtains before the events
of the scenario take place” (Rudlin 92). Moliere made Orgon a greatly complex character which had to be considered through a number of different aspects: his foregone past, his current religious fanatism, his set of features and values, and, fially, his absurdly extreme words or deeds.
It is worth mentioning that Molière, besides being a great comic artist was a brilliant
satirist. His characters thus are bestowed with a satirical tone or viewed satirically by others.
Moliere's purpose of exploiting the satire in his works was to question society, its values and virtues, as well as the ones of people individually. Using satire in his plays, and in “Tartuffe” particularly, Moliere strived to challenge the audience by exposing human innerside.
Works Cited
Klas, Nicole. Moliere and commedia dell’arte: past, present, and future. Florida: B.A. Florida Atlantic
Molière, and Richard Wilbur. Tartuffe: A Comedy in Five Acts. Bilingual ed. New York: Harcourt
Brace, 1997.
Osborne, Kristen. Cedars, S.R. ed. Tartuffe Study Guide. GradeSaver, 8 January 2013 Web. 26
August 2016.
http://www.enotes.com/topics/tartuffe#
