Tartuffe,byMoliere,translatedbyRichardWilbur

PresentedbyPerisphereTheaterResourcesforteachersandstudents

January/February2018

CreatedbyHeatherBenjaminandBridgetGraceSheaff,2017

ContextforTartuffe

PLOT

ThestorytakesplaceinthehomeofthewealthyOrgon,whereTartuffe—afraudandapiousimposter—hasinsinuatedhimself.Hesucceedsinwinningtherespectanddevotionoftheheadofthehouseandthentriestomarryhisdaughter,seducehiswifeandscroungethedeedtotheproperty.Tartuffenearlygetsawaywithit,butanemissaryfromKingLouisXIVarrivesintimetorecovertheproperty,freeMonsieurOrgonandhaulTartuffeofftojail.Hisduplicity,lies,andoveralltrickeryarefinallyexposedandpunished.—DramatistsPlayServicesummary

PLAYSTYLE

Molière’sdramaticrootslieinOldFrenchfarce,theunscriptedpopularplaysthatfeaturedbroadcharacterswithrobustattitudesandvulgarways,emphasizedastrongphysicalstyleofperformance,andwereanentertainmentstapleinthetownmarketplaceandonthefairground.Hewas,likewise,greatlyinfluencedbyhisinteractionwiththeItaliancommediadell'arteperformerswhowereknownforboththeirimprovisationalskillsandhighlyphysicalplaying,andfortheeverydaytruththeybroughttotheirlivelytheatricalpresentations.The“newbrand”ofFrenchcomedy,whichMolièredevelopedandperfected,featuredthevivacityandphysicalityoffarce,temperedbyacommedia-inspirednaturalnessofcharacter.WhatisattheheartofMolière'sdramaticstyle,andwhatmadehisplaysuniquefortheirtime,istheirsatiricalbent,brilliantintellect,sharpwit,emphasisontheironic,andastrongsenseofwhatthedramatisthimselfviewedas

Asamplingofthestockcommediadell'artefiguresfromtheItaliantradition.Molierewouldhavedrawnheavilyfromtheircomedicinfluenceinwritinghischaracters.

FrontispieceoftheoneoftheearliestprintingsofTartuffe,depictingthemostfamousscene,froma1739collectededitionofhisworksinFrenchandEnglish,printedbyJohnWatts.

morality.HeheldamirroruptobothhumannatureandFrenchsocietytoreflectthecomicglory(orhorror)oftheirfrailty,stupidity,iniquityandhypocrisy.—McCarterTheatre

HISTORICALBACKGROUND:LOUISEXIV

• LouisXIVreignedfrom1643until1715.• Hereformedthestate,securedtheobedienceofthe

Frenchelites,expandedhisarmytothelargestinEurope,andencouragedthegrowthofcoloniesabroad.HeestablishedaglitteringcourtatVersaillesandpromotedthearts.

• Oftenknownas“TheSunKing,”hebecameamodelotherEuropeanrulersstrovetoemulate.

• LouisXIV’smainphilosophywastheperfectionofFrance,thecrown,andthemonarchy.

• LouisXIV’saggressiveforeignpolicyledtoanewroundofwars,specificallyTheNineYear’sWarbeginningin1688betweentheFranceandacollationmadeupofalmosteverymajorpowerinEurope,includingtheHolyRomanEmpire.—OxfordUniversityPress

RECEPTIONANDSUPPRESSIONOFTHEPLAY

MolièrewroteTartuffein1664.Almostimmediatelyfollowingitsfirstperformance,itwascensoredbyKingLouisXIV,probablyduetotheinfluenceofthearchbishopofParis,Paul

PhilippeHardouindeBeaumontdePéréfixe,whowastheking'sconfessorandhadbeenhistutor.AlthoughTartuffewasreceivedwellbythepublicandevenbyLouisXIV,itimmediatelysparkedconflictamongmanydifferentgroupswhowereoffendedbytheplay.ThefactionsopposedtoMolière'sworkincludedpartofthehierarchyoftheFrenchRomanCatholicChurch,membersofupper-classFrenchsociety,andtheillegalundergroundorganizationcalledtheCompagnieduSaint-Sacrement. Tartuffe'spopularitywascutshortwhentheArchbishopofParisissuedanedictthreateningexcommunicationforanyonewhowatched,performedin,orreadtheplay.Molièreattemptedtomollifychurchofficialsbyrewritinghisplaytoseemmoresecularandlesscriticalofreligion,butthechurchcouldnotbebudged.

LouisXIVofFrance,kingduringthetenureofMoliere,wasoftencalledtheSunKingandbelievedintheperfectionofFranceanditsking.

TheedictdeclaringtheprohibitionagainstTheImposterbytheArchbishopofParis(August11,1667)

EvenduringMolière'sconflictwiththechurch,LouisXIVcontinuedtosupporttheplaywright;itispossiblethatwithouttheking'ssupport,Molièremighthavebeenexcommunicated.Althoughpublicperformancesoftheplaywerebanned,privateperformancesfortheFrencharistocracywerepermitted.In1669,afterMolière'sdetractorslostmuchoftheirinfluence,hewasfinallyallowedtoperformthefinalversionofhisplay.However,duetoallthecontroversysurroundingTartuffe,Molièremostlyrefrainedfromwritingsuchincisiveplaysasthisoneagain.

—Wikipediaentry

QuestionsforDiscussion

AfterseeingTartuffe,answerthefollowingquestionsinsmallgroupsorasaclass:

• Doyouagreethat“toknowthecomicwemustknowtherational”?Whatdoesthismean?Howdoescomedypointoutwhatisrationalandmakeacontrastwithit?

• Whatdoyouthinkaboutsatiricalworksofartthatimplycriticismofacurrentauthority,socialorpoliticalphenomenon,orpractice?Shouldtheybepresentedtothepublicorcensored?Aretheydangerous,oraretheyvaluable?

• Whataboutsatirebasedonhumannatureandfoibles?Howdoesthisplaypresent

bothaspects?

• Howdothecharactersinthisplayrepresentdifferentpointsofviewandlevelsofrationality?Whichcharactersbehaverationally?Whichbehaveirrationally?Dotheychangethroughoutthecourseoftheplay?

• Howdoyoudefine“hypocrisy”?Isiteasyordifficulttoseewhenyouorother

peoplearebehavingthisway?Whatmakesitobvious?

• Inyourlife,havetherebeenworksofarthaveyouseen,listenedto,orparticipatedinthatgeneratedcontroversy,buttowhichyourespondedstrongly?Whyweretheycontroversial?Whataspectsofsocietyorhumannaturedidtheypointout?

• Didthisplayremindyouofanything?Whatexamplesfromyourlife(media,news,entertainment,etc.)didyouseeintheplay?

• Wasthereanythingconfusingorthatyouwouldliketolearnmoreabout?

• Didyoufindyourselfagreeingordisagreeingwithanycharacterinparticular?Didyoufindyourselfidentifyingwithanycharacterormomentespecially?Whydoyouthinkthatwas?

• Whatwouldhavedonedifferentlyfromanyofthecharactersintheplay?WhatwouldyouhavedonedifferentlythanOrgon?WhatwouldyouhavedoneifyouwereOrgon’schildren(MarianeandDamis)?WhatwouldyouhavedoneifyouwereDorine?

ClassroomActivities

1. Thinkaboutwhathappensaftertheplaywhenthefamily’slegalissuesareclearedupandtheygettheirhouseback.Whatdoyouthinkbecomesofthefamily?ConsiderhowOrgondidnotbelievehisownfamily,disownedhisownson,andgaveeverythingbelongingtothefamilytoTartuffe.WriteascenebetweenOrgonandDamis,OrgonandElmire,orMarianeandValère,describingwhathappenedtotheirrelationshipbecauseofTartuffe’sdisturbanceamongthefamily.

2. WriteajournalentryfromTartuffe’spointofview,describingwhathappenedtohimaftertheplay.Doyouthinkhetriesthisonanotherfamily?Doyouthinkhe’slearnedhislesson?Whatdoyouthinkhedoesnext?

3. ActII,Scene3,astranslatedbyWilbur,includestheword“tartuffified.”

Dorine(toMariane):Youdeservetobetartuffified!

Consideringthisword,whichisnotinthedictionaryandhasbeencreatedfromTartuffe’sname,createadefinitionfortheterm.

4. Dosomeresearchonthecharactersandstylesincommediadell’arte.IdentifywhichstockcommediacharactereachcharacterfromTartufferemindsyouof.Namethreelazzi(comicbits)thatyourememberfromtheproduction.Thinkaboutthescopeofcomedyingeneral.Whatpartsofthisplaywerefunny?Why?Didithaveahappyending?Why?

5. Writeashortpoemorletterfromoneofthecharacter’spointsofview.(AletterfromMarianetoValere,apoemfromTartuffetoElmire,alongletterfromMadamePernelletothehousehold.)Userhymingcoupletstopackanextrapunch.