Tartuffe, By Moliere, Translated By Richard Wilbur .

Tartuffe, by Moliere, translated by Richard WilburPresented by Perisphere TheaterResources for teachers and studentsJanuary/February 2018Created by Heather Benjamin and Bridget Grace Sheaff, 2017

Context for TartuffePLOTThe story takes place in the home of the wealthy Orgon,where Tartuffe—a fraud and a pious imposter—hasinsinuated himself. He succeeds in winning the respectand devotion of the head of the house and then tries tomarry his daughter, seduce his wife and scrounge thedeed to the property.Tartuffe nearly gets away with it, but an emissary fromKing Louis XIV arrives in time to recover the property,free Monsieur Orgon and haul Tartuffe off to jail. HisFrontispiece of the one of the earliestprintings of Tartuffe, depicting the mostfamous scene, from a 1739 collectededition of his works in French andEnglish, printed by John Watts.duplicity, lies, and overall trickery are finally exposedand punished.—Dramatists Play Service summaryPLAY STYLEMolière’s dramatic roots lie in Old French farce, the unscripted popular plays that featuredbroad characters with robust attitudes and vulgar ways, emphasized a strong physical styleof performance, and were an entertainment staple in the town marketplace and on thefairground. He was, likewise, greatlyinfluenced by his interaction with theItalian commedia dell'arte performerswho were known for both theirimprovisational skills and highlyphysical playing, and for the everydaytruth they brought to their livelytheatrical presentations. The “newbrand” of French comedy, which Molièredeveloped and perfected, featured thevivacity and physicality of farce,tempered by a commedia-inspirednaturalness of character.What is at the heart of Molière'sA sampling of the stock commedia dell'arte figures from thedramatic style, and what made his plays Italian tradition. Moliere would have drawn heavily from theircomedic influence in writing his characters.unique for their time, is their satiricalbent, brilliant intellect, sharp wit,emphasis on the ironic, and a strong sense of what the dramatist himself viewed as

morality. He held a mirror up to both human nature and French society to reflect the comicglory (or horror) of their frailty, stupidity, iniquity and hypocrisy.—McCarter TheatreHISTORICAL BACKGROUND: LOUISE XIV Louis XIV reigned from 1643 until 1715.He reformed the state, secured the obedience of theFrench elites, expanded his army to the largest inEurope, and encouraged the growth of coloniesabroad. He established a glittering court atVersailles and promoted the arts.Often known as “The Sun King,” he became a modelother European rulers strove to emulate.Louis XIV’s main philosophy was the perfection ofFrance, the crown, and the monarchy.Louis XIV’s aggressive foreign policy led to a newround of wars, specifically The Nine Year’s Warbeginning in 1688 between the France and acollation made up of almost every major power inEurope, including the Holy Roman Empire.—Oxford University PressLouis XIV of France, king during the tenureof Moliere, was often called the Sun Kingand believed in the perfection of France andits king.RECEPTION AND SUPPRESSION OF THE PLAYMolière wrote Tartuffe in 1664. Almost immediately following its first performance, it wascensored by King Louis XIV, probably due to the influence of the archbishop of Paris, PaulPhilippe Hardouin de Beaumont de Péréfixe, who was the king'sconfessor and had been his tutor.Although Tartuffe was received well by the public and even byLouis XIV, it immediately sparked conflict among manydifferent groups who were offended by the play. The factionsopposed to Molière's work included part of the hierarchy of theFrench Roman Catholic Church, members of upper-class Frenchsociety, and the illegal underground organization called theCompagnie du Saint-Sacrement.Tartuffe's popularity was cut short when the Archbishop ofParis issued an edict threatening excommunication for anyoneThe edict declaring the prohibitionagainst The Imposter by theArchbishop of Paris (August 11,1667)who watched, performed in, or read the play. Molièreattempted to mollify church officials by rewriting his play toseem more secular and less critical of religion, but the churchcould not be budged.

Even during Molière's conflict with the church, Louis XIV continued to support theplaywright; it is possible that without the king's support, Molière might have beenexcommunicated. Although public performances of the play were banned, privateperformances for the French aristocracy were permitted.In 1669, after Molière's detractors lost much of their influence, he was finally allowed toperform the final version of his play. However, due to all the controversy surroundingTartuffe, Molière mostly refrained from writing such incisive plays as this one again.—Wikipedia entry

Questions for DiscussionAfter seeing Tartuffe, answer the following questions in small groups or as a class: Do you agree that “to know the comic we must know the rational”? What does thismean? How does comedy point out what is rational and make a contrast with it? What do you think about satirical works of art that imply criticism of a currentauthority, social or political phenomenon, or practice? Should they be presented tothe public or censored? Are they dangerous, or are they valuable? What about satire based on human nature and foibles? How does this play presentboth aspects? How do the characters in this play represent different points of view and levels ofrationality? Which characters behave rationally? Which behave irrationally? Do theychange throughout the course of the play? How do you define “hypocrisy”? Is it easy or difficult to see when you or otherpeople are behaving this way? What makes it obvious? In your life, have there been works of art have you seen, listened to, or participatedin that generated controversy, but to which you responded strongly? Why were theycontroversial? What aspects of society or human nature did they point out? Did this play remind you of anything? What examples from your life (media, news,entertainment, etc.) did you see in the play? Was there anything confusing or that you would like to learn more about? Did you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing with any character in particular? Didyou find yourself identifying with any character or moment especially? Why do youthink that was? What would have done differently from any of the characters in the play? Whatwould you have done differently than Orgon? What would you have done if youwere Orgon’s children (Mariane and Damis)? What would you have done if you wereDorine?

Classroom Activities1. Think about what happens after the play when the family’s legal issues are clearedup and they get their house back. What do you think becomes of the family?Consider how Orgon did not believe his own family, disowned his own son, and gaveeverything belonging to the family to Tartuffe. Write a scene between Orgon andDamis, Orgon and Elmire, or Mariane and Valère, describing what happened to theirrelationship because of Tartuffe’s disturbance among the family.2. Write a journal entry from Tartuffe’s point of view, describing what happened tohim after the play. Do you think he tries this on another family? Do you think he’slearned his lesson? What do you think he does next?3. Act II, Scene 3, as translated by Wilbur, includes the word “tartuffified.”Dorine (to Mariane): You deserve to be tartuffified!Considering this word, which is not in the dictionary and has been created fromTartuffe’s name, create a definition for the term.4. Do some research on the characters and styles in commedia dell’arte. Identify whichstock commedia character each character from Tartuffe reminds you of. Name threelazzi (comic bits) that you remember from the production. Think about the scope ofcomedy in general. What parts of this play were funny? Why? Did it have a happyending? Why?5. Write a short poem or letter from one of the character’s points of view. (A letterfrom Mariane to Valere, a poem from Tartuffe to Elmire, a long letter from MadamePernelle to the household.) Use rhyming couplets to pack an extra punch.

3. Act II, Scene 3, as translated by Wilbur, includes the word “tartuffified.” Dorine (to Mariane): You deserve to be tartuffified! Considering this word, which is not in the dictionary and has been created from Tartuffe’s name, create a definition for the term. 4. Do some research on the characters and styles in commedia dell’arte.