tartuffe - web version

8/9/2019 Tartuffe - Web Version

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TartufeTartufe

EN302: European TheatreEN302: European Theatre


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Molires life1622: Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, to a wealthy middle-class amily

in Parisc. 1643: Joined !adeline B"#art and $ others to ound the %llustre

Th"&tre1645-58: Toured 'rance with the %llustre Th"&tre1658: (eturned to Paris under the protection o !onsieur, the)rother o *ouis +% per ormed or the .in/ and /ranted a share

o the Petit Bour)on theatre1661: ompany rehoused in the Palais (oyal1664: Tartufe per ormed in its 3-act 1ersion or the .in/ at

ersailles, and su)sequently )anned

1667: ne per ormance o LImposteur re1ised 1ersion o Tartufe 4,also )anned1669: Ban on Tartufe 5nally li ted )ecame one o !oli6re7s most

popular plays )oth durin/ and a ter his li e1673: !oli6re7s death


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!e "ro#$e*ouis +% crowned at the a/e o A in ?@A3 didnot assume ull personal power until ?@@0Battles )etween pro1incial le/islatures and thearistocracy, ?@A$- 3

ictory in these wars esta)lished the monarchyas a)solute and autocraticr/on and the 'ronde: 8%n the recentdistur)ances, he may ha1e )een C (elia)le,)ra1e, loyal to the rown, C But now he7s allenor TartuDe 7 p> F4


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!e%&ric%l co#&e'&Theatre )uildin/s:

Gsually ormer tennis courtsnly one purpose-)uilt theatre in all'rance in ?@A0s: the HItel deBour/o/ne, )uilt in ? A$ or reli/iousdrama>

!oli6re7s theatre rom ?@@?: the Palais-(oyal


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!e %l%is- o*%lPhysical eatures:

parterreamphithtre

two /alleries o ?)o;es on three sidesthird /alleryconstructed in ?@ ?4scenic spaceaudience on sta/ehi/hly priced,presti/ious4

9udience capacity:A0 on sta/e?3@ in 5rst-row

)o;es?20 in amphithtre?3@ in second-row)o;es

?3@ in third-row)o;es a ter ?@ ?400 in the parterre


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Molires &!e%&rer/anisation o !oli6re7s theatre company:

all shareholderslar/ely democratic, thou/h not e1eryone had anequal num)er o shares5nancial and pro/rammin/ decisions madecommunallyse;ual equality or the most part4older emale roles li e !me Pernelle played )ymenno director as such, )ut !oli6re pro)a)ly toochar/e


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Molires s&*le Alexandrines : hei/htened, arti5cial


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Molire %s %c&or 9 contemporaryspectator descri)in/!oli6re as There wasne1er an actor with suchcontrol o1er his aciale;pression 7*a Neu 1illenaine,

Ar!uments , quoted in!oli6re, &euvres , ed>Lespois M !esnard, %%, p>?$F4


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Commedia dellarte%talian commedia dellarte companies per ormed inParis rom ? 0s onwards>Popular arce at the HItel de Bour/o/ne:

Turlupin, the )ra//art Henri *e/rand4ros- uillaume, the at man (o)ert uerin4aultier- ar/uille, the old man Hu/ues u"ru4

Ti)erio 'iorilli


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+,r%!% osse/ Comedians at the theatre o Hotel de BourgoTurlupin, aultier- ar/uille M ros- uillaume
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/H%C3%B4tel_de_Bourgogne_-_stage_set_-_engraving_by_Abraham_Bosse_1634_-_Oxford_Companion_Plate_35.jpg


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Italian and French Comedians Playing in Farces / 16


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eo-cl%ssic%l co e$* on1entions:

contemporary )our/eois settin/amily ocus rather than historical C heroic4

youn/ lo1e 1s> parental opposition

Pierre orneille: comedy as 8a portrait o themanners and con1ersation o persons o /ood)reedin/7:

8The e;clusion o what we should call /enuinelycomicQ material rom this de5nition was entirelyin eepin/ with the 5rm distinction )etweencomedy and arce esta)lished )y the (enaissancetheorists, or whom the imitation o li e, not thearousin/ o lau/hter, was to )e the comicdramatist7s /oal>7 Howarth ?FF : 2334


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Molire o# co e$* La 'riti(ue de Lcole des emmes ?@@34:

+ I . Tra/edy, no dou)t, is somethin/ /randwhen it is ri/htly handled )ut comedy has manycharms and % thin 7tis no less diDicult to write thantra/edy>

+ . Kou are ri/ht, madame and as ordiDiculty, you would not )e wron/ i you should adda little to the scale o comedy> % thin mysel 7tiseasier to )e /rand o1er /rand sentiments, )ra1e

ad1erse ortune, challen/e destiny, and hurl de5anceat the /ods than to e;hi)it in a proper spirit thea)surdities o men and show their ailin/s pleasantlyupon the sta/e> 7tis indeed a curious enterprise toma e the honest pu)lic lau/h> 3A04


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l%ssic%l co ic &!eor* 9ristotle:

8 omedy, as we ha1e said, is an imitation opeople who are worse than the a1era/e>7

His ideas were e;panded upon )y theAth century 9L philosopher E1anthius:8 omedy is a story treatin/ o 1ariousha)its and customs o pu)lic and pri1ate

aDairs, rom which one may learn what is ouse in li e, on the one hand, and what must)e a1oided, on the other>7 quoted in Palmer?F$A: 304


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Molire %s s%&iris&8Rhereas the duty o comedy is to correct men )yamusin/ them, % elt that, )ein/ in that pro ession, %could do no )etter than to attac , )y ludicrousportrayals, the 1ices o my a/e>7 !oli6re7s )irst

*etition , 9u/ust ?@@A4


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Tartufe %s reli iouss%&ire

Lepicts an actual social phenomenon: the 8lay director7(eli/iousCse;ual dou#le entendres in 9ct 3: 8!ay HeS od /rant you all the #oy that %, C His hum)le ser1ant,also wish or you>7 p> A24E1en a ter he has shown his hand, TartuDe useslan/ua/e which is )oth se;ually and reli/iouslychar/ed> The ollowin/ is a parody o the Salve +e!ina :

an7t you loo indly on this wretchUan7t you 5nd it in your heartTo pour the )alm o consolationn your unworthy sla1eRrithin/ in a/ony here at your eetUh, you creature rom Hea1en,Be the temple where % worshipV pp> A -@4


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Tartufe %s reli iouss%&ire

Perhaps this satire was precisely tar/eted:l"ante on reli/ious hypocrites: 8There7s a lot othem a)out7 p> ? 4There is a possi)le re erence to the Jesuit 8direction

o intention7 in the ollowin/ lines: 8scruples can )e/ot rid o There7s an esta)lished way C squarin/)ad actions with /ood intentions> %7ll teach you thetheolo/y>7 p> @@4!ore persuasi1e is !oli6re7s loaded use o the term8ca)ale7, )oth in the play 8There are power ul ca)alsand cliques out there7, p> @4 and in his


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o % #ie $u %i#&-%cre e#&

ompa/nie du


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Los& ersio#s of &!e l%* 'irst per ormance at ersailles on !ay ?2,?@@A:

only three acts possi)ly the current 9cts %, %%% and % 4!ariane and al6re7s plot may not ha1e )een sode1eloped or e1en present4 in this 1ersion o the playwell-recei1ed )y *ouis +%


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Tartufe %s s%&ire!oli6re7s 8Pre ace7 to Tartufe 23 !arch ?@@F4descri)es the play as 8a s il ul poem which, )ya/reea)le lessons, reprimands men7s de ects7:

8% the mission o comedy is to correct men7s 1ices, %ail to see why some should )e pri1ile/ed> %n the7

8%t is a /reat )low to 1ice to e;pose it to e1eryone7slau/hter> Re can easily stand )ein/ reprehended,)ut we cannot stand )ein/ moc ed> Re are willin/to )e wic ed, )ut we will not )e ridiculous>7


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;e#ri er so#'rench philosopher HenriBer/son ?$ F-?FA?4pu)lished his inOuentialessay 8*au/hter7 in ?F00>

%n it, he ar/ued that humourarises rom 8automatism7 and8inelasticity7 in characters>8%n lau/hter we always 5nd

an una1owed intention tohumiliate, and consequentlycorrect our nei/h)our>7


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r o#s i#el%s&ici&* < . my own )rother, children, mother, wi e,

ould die, % wouldn7t lose a moment7s sleep>L=+ . How 1ery human> p> ?A4

r/on as machine:89nd TartuDeU Poor manV7Lorine7s asides and r/on7s mechanical response to them in 9ct2r/on7s alternated lines to Lamis and TartuDe in 9ct 3His response upon disco1erin/ the truth

Lamis is similarly mechanical W he ruins Elmire7s plan,and almost /ets into serious trou)le at the end!me> Pernelle si/ni5cant that she was played )y a maleactorU4


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Tartufe %s f%rce/> hidin/ place,!ariane7s en/a/ement4

Buildin/ o pace:Physical ima/e o the )esie/ed amily 9ct 7s entrances and e;its


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Tartufe s s&ruc&ureonstant raisin/ o the sta es:

r/on orders !ariane to marry TartuDe 9ct 24r/on )rin/s orward !ariane7s proposed marria/e to8today7 9ct 34r/on disinherits Lamis 9ct 34r/on resol1es to put the deeds to the house inTartuDe7s name 8today7 end o 9ct 34

9s r/on realises TartuDe7s true nature, TartuDe ordershim out o the house and threatens reprisal 9ct A4The play con5rms the e;istence and contents o r/on7sstron/-)o; 9ct 4!> *oyal arri1es to e1ict the amily 9ct 4

al6re arri1es with news that r/on is 8in mortaldan/er7 and ur/es him to Oee 9ct 4TartuDe arri1es to arrest r/on 9ct 4


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!e e#$i#i1en that the play is so )rilliantly structured in termso set-up and pay-oD in many other respects, why is nomention made o the crucially-important stron/-)o;)e ore 9ct U%s the 5nal act implausi)leULo each o the last three acts play with implausi)leclima;esU4How do we read the play7s deus or rex 4 ex machina U8Re li1e in an enli/htened a/e> ur .in/,Rho reads us li e a )oo , hates any raud STo ma e sure that his #ud/ement7s really air,He /athers in the acts till they7re complete> SHis e;pert eyes weren7t ooled they strai/htaway7 p> $A4


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I#&er re&i# ,e!% iour ther characters are impostors o sorts:

Elmire and Lorine ei/n attitudes which are not theirown or strate/ic reasons!> *oyal7s discourse is radically at odds with hispurpose!ariane and al6re waste time and emotional ener/ymas in/ their true eelin/s or one another in 9ct 2while Lorine watches with incredulous amusement4E1en l"ante ad1ises deception 8Kou were rash totac le him head on C !ore rounda)out methods wereneeded7 p> 24

al6re is the one character in the play to pro1e hissincerity )y his actions this is emphasised )y theplay7s 5nal line4>


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I#&er re&i# ,e!% iour TartuDe tells the truth in order todecei1e:

8Kes, )rother, % am e1il, /uilty, C 9misera)le sinner, ull o iniquity, C The

1ilest wretch that e1er trod this earth CE1ery second o my criminal li e issteeped in 5lth 7 p> AF489h, the pain % suDer C Rhen people try to)lac en my name7 p> 248They want you to dou)t me7 p> 34


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I#&er re&i# ,e!% iour l"ante as raisonneur 8% can tell truth rom ma e-)elie1e7 p> ?@4

8The 1ery lan/ua/e o l"ante7s assertion that he can8du au; a1ec le 1rai aire la diD"rence7 3 A4 recallsone o the most inOuential )oo s o the century,Lescartes7 -iscours de la Mthode ?@3 4 %n the 5rstpara/raph o his -iscours Lescartes assumes that menare all equally endowed )y nature with a commonsense which ena)les them to 8distin/uer le 1rai d7a1ecle au;7>7 aston Hall ?F @: 2?4

l"ante ad1ises r/on to 8 ?@4 and to 8*earn todistin/uish )etween 1irtue, C (eal and ei/ned7 p>24>How easy is thisU


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I#&er re&i# ,e!% iour Lorine spea s scathin/ly o 8pro essional prudery7p> $4:

Those who li1e in the most ra/ile /lass-houses 9lways cast the 5rst stoneThey paint people as )lac as they canTo camouOa/e their own acti1ities,Put up smo e-screens, play the innocent,Hopin/ to deOect the criticismomin/ their way> p> 4

!oli6re accuses his own audience o this in La'riti(ue de Lcole des emmes :+ I . % now nothin/ so ridiculous as this super-sensiti1e 1irtue which 5nds e1il e1erywhere, supposes criminalmeanin/ in the most innocent words, and ta es oDence atshadows> 3?34


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I#&er re&i# ,e!% iour Elsewhere in La 'riti(ue , !oli6re7s raisonneur Lorante praises audience mem)ers who #ud/e aplay 8)y its eDect on them, W not )y )lindpre#udice, or silly complaisance, or oolishprudery>7 323-A4

La 'riti(ue /oes on:+ I . 9ll those ridiculous pictures which the sta/epresents should )e re/arded without pre#udice )y

e1ery one> They are pu)lic mirrors, in which wene1er ou/ht to show we see oursel1es to )e soscandali=ed at such reproo s is openly con essin/ ourde ects> 33 4


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efere#cesBer/son, H> ?F004 8*au/hter7, in ?F @4 'omed% , New

Kor : Lou)leday 9nchor, F-?F0>aston Hall, H> ?F @4 Moli.re/ Tartufe , The &x ord Illustrated 0istor% othe Theatre , ; ord: GP, pp> 220- ?>!aland, La1id ?F 04 'ulture 1 Societ% in Seventeenth"'entur%

)rance , New Kor : harles 200@4 8!oli6re as satirist7 in La1id Brad)y M

9ndrew alder Seds The 'am#rid!e 'ompanion to Moli.re ,am)rid/e: GP, pp> - 0>Palmer, L> J Sed> ?F$A4 'omed%/ -evelopments in 'riticism , *ondon:!acmillan>Rilli ord, hrista 200@4 *la%houses o 23th"'entur% *aris ,http:CCpeople>)rynmawr>eduCcwilli oCpscpCinde;>htm
http://people.brynmawr.edu/cwillifo/pscp/index.htmhttp://people.brynmawr.edu/cwillifo/pscp/index.htm

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