Reading Notes Week 3: Tartuffe, Part A




Tartuffe by Moliere ( Jean-Baptiste Poquelin)

Madame Pernelle is opinionated, stuck in her ways, and disrespectful. She is a woman who does not bite her tongue. “Daughter -in-law, please take this well- behavior such as yours leads straight to hell. You spend money like it grows on trees. Then wear it on your back in clothes like these. Are you a princess? (sarcastic) No? You’re dressed like one! One wonders whom you dress for-not my son (145).


Religion to Madame Pernelle equates to rules to get to heaven. This religious thinking is why people turn from God. It becomes about living to avoid breaking the rules to get to heaven. Religion that focuses on rules instead of relationship with God is a dead religion. “so, “heaven hates these visits by our friends” (146). Dorine is speaks his truth, he is bold to speak what as of now, no one else is standing against Madame Pernelle.

Madame Pernelle and Orgon succumbs to the gossip and outer appearance. Orgon also praises Tartuffe godliness yet his own actions are to the contrary when it comes to address Dorine:


· mocks her while trying to give him wisdom concerning Tartuffee hypocrisy and foolery: He would break his oath to his daughter to be wed to Valere to have his daughter marry an older man because he assumes he is perfect because he presents himself as religious man.
· He addresses her with insulting names.
· He blames her for his inability to be devout when it comes to his responses. 

In addition, Orgon accuses Valere of not being a man of honor because he gambles and do not attend mass. Cleante appears to be a man of wisdom, even though Orgon will not heed to this wisdom.

Reason is the capacity for consciously making sense of things, establishing and verifying facts, applying logic, and changing or justifying practices. Based on existing information.

Wisdom according to the Oxford English Dictionary defines wisdom as the capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends. With wisdom comes honest observation not just facts, careful reasoning in the face of knowledge (meaning a balanced application). In Tartuffe, the characters use reasoning, while Cleante and the King possess wisdom.


Taurtuffe clearly uses religion as a mask of deception. He is man that uses God and religion as a way of manipulating and controlling those around him. Cleante was clearly lost before Tauruffe, searching for something, making him an easy prey for Tartuffe to beguile him.

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