The exploitation of religion and piety to fulfill one’s needs is a controversial topic that may be hard to use in a comedic setting without raising backlash. In 1664, a French playwright Molière, created Tartuffe, one of the classic comedies of all times and a poignant satire of religious gullibility. As the play with such controversial themes was written in a contemporary setting and described the events happening in France in the 1660s, the Church was able to exercise its influence and ban the play from being performed. However, the ways in which the French playwright presents the themes of hypocrisy and credulousness through its main characters – Tartuffe and Orgon – leave little room for doubt that Molière’s original intent is far from trying to offend the church. The cunning behavior of Tartuffe, the credulous nature of Orgon, and the rational perspective of Cléante represent different sides of the author’s argument against hypocrisy and blind trust.
Tartuffe, the central character, also called the impostor in other versions of the novel, is a religious hypocrite who uses the piety of others to achieve his goals. His antagonistic nature is not hidden from the audience from the very beginning, as the author describes him as a “bogus holy man” in the list of dramatis personae (Molière 7). Here, readers are presented with the first description of this man. Then, Tartuffe’s personality is described to the audience by other characters to set the opposition between the family’s opinions. To some of them, he is a humble and pious man, a “blessed soul” and a man who “should be listened to” (Molière 9). To others, he is a pretender, whose words do not have any truth or credibility behind them. Throughout the play, this opposition creates the central conflict and becomes the primary source of satire. The actions of Tartuffe that are visible to the audience escape the sight of characters who believe him, as Tartuffe continues to use his two-sided nature.
The pivotal scene in which Tartuffe’s hypocrisy is unmasked is also a moment where the playwright reveals the man’s flawed human nature. Tartuffe’s almost ethereal personality, disconnected from the desires and pleasures of life, that he shows to Orgon and Madame Pernelle shatters when Tartuffe’s lust for Elmire, Orgon’s wife, makes him contradict himself and his created guise. Elmire notices Tartuffe’s advances and questions his earlier statements by saying “you love no earthly things” which makes Tartuffe abandon his appearance to appeal to her (Molière 29). Later, when Tartuffe says “the scandal of the world is what makes the offence, and sinning in private is no sinning at all,” even Orgon, who is so fascinated with every word of the hypocrite, realizes his dual nature (Molière 40). Here, the playwright uses a contrast between the disdain that Catholic Church often expresses towards carnal desires and Tartuffe’s readiness to seduce a married woman while posing it as sinless behavior and using religion as the primary excuse.
The level to which religion can be used as an argument in making decisions and choosing the authoritative figure is the main weakness of Orgon, another central character of the play. Here, Orgon’s flaws lie in his inability to see through Tartuffe’s mask and his fear of doubting a religious figure. It is clear that his relationship with religion is based on blind trust which often transfers from the faith itself onto every object and character connected to it. He is enchanted by Tartuffe’s supposed humbleness and his persistent attempts to be pious. Orgon considers Tartuffe’s actions as genuinely religious, although to others they may seem superfluous and even bizarre. Orgon’s enthusiastic descriptions of Tartuffe’s exaggerated piety such as: “he’s scandalised at the smallest thing imaginable” and “he acquaints me who ogles her, and is six times more jealous of her than I am” show that he cannot separate real faith from the exploitation of religion (Molière 13). His misunderstanding of what is good and bad strengthens the conflict of the play.
Orgon’s description of Tartuffe is one of the scenes that could have been seen not as satire but as a mockery of Catholic religion by the Church. After Molière presented his play to the audience, it was banned under the influence of the Catholic Church due to it supposedly critiquing the Church and religion as a whole. However, this scene is a perfect example that disproves this idea, because Tartuffe’s actions are obviously disconnected from any religious context. On the contrary, through Orgon’s words, Molière comments on one’s lack of awareness and ability to critically appraise information due to it being connected to respected ideas and sacred beliefs. When Orgon says that Tartuffe is “very good” and that Cléante can “draw down some heavy judgment on … [his] head one day or other,” he reveals his fear to be deemed unfaithful (Molière 13). Orgon’s dialogue with Cléante shows the difference between critical thinking and blind following. Molière could have used other settings to present the same contrast. However, people’s vehement denial to question anything connected to religion may show this opposition most vividly.
One can assume that Cléante is a character through whom Molière attempts to explain his attitude towards the two problems of the religion’s exploitation. His ability to challenge notions that seem unapproachable to Orgon paints him as an intelligent and logical character. Therefore, his conflict with Orgon can be perceived as a debate between rationality and clouded thinking. Cléante’s solutions to the problems of the play lie in thoughtful consideration of every step and reasonable approach to all situations because “to be clear-sighted is libertinism” (Molière 13). For instance, his discussions with Orgon are not based on him presenting his opinion as the only reasonable one. On the contrary, Cléante attempts to teach his brother-in-law to think for himself. In fact, Cléante is a character who summarizes the main idea of the play in one question by asking Orgon if he would “make no distinction between hypocrisy and true devotion” (Molière 13). In this moment, Cléante separates himself from the two sides of the conflict showing that one can detect hypocrisy by educating oneself.
Supporting the idea that the playwright does not want to criticize the Church, Cléante does not undermine Orgon’s faith. Moreover, he does not believe that Orgon should “renounce all pious folks” after his brother-in-law learns about Tartuffe’s guise (Molière 43). Cléante remains logical, stating that there is no need to throw oneself “out of one extreme into another” (Molière 43). This scene shows that the author’s intent is not to denounce the Church or portray religious people as illogical and oblivious to hypocrisy but to critique those people who do not attempt to “distinguish between virtue and the appearance of it” (Molière 43). In this moment, his speech can be seen as the author’s attempt to display a religious person who can make that distinction and remain faithful. Throughout the play, Molière often shows that Cléante is a religious man just like his brother-in-law. Here, Cléante gives his advice to the main characters and the audience as well – to be mindful of impostors but not to “injure true zeal” of honest people (Molière 44). This is a clear message of the playwright to religious critics who, similarly to Orgon, may fall into extremes while defending their faith.
Molière’s comedy, Tartuffe, offers a sharp-witted satire of those who are hypocritical and those who fall victim to the hypocrites’ charm. Its use of religious themes creates controversy as some misinterpret the author’s message and think that he is undermining their beliefs. However, the interactions between Tartuffe, Orgon, and Cléante show that Molière focuses more on people’s unwillingness to rationalize and keep their mind clear from unnecessary extremes. The religious theme could have been omitted by the author. However, its sacred nature and the passion of its followers make the play even more impactful. Molière uses exaggeration and humor to show the hypocrisy of Tartuffe and the gullibility of Orgon, portraying Cléante as a person who can adhere to his religious beliefs while staying true to himself. The author’s message to readers expressed in Cléante’s words remains applicable to this day because it encourages one to think and remember to stay grounded instead of choosing between the conflicting sides. The rationality of this advice can be employed in many situations of the modern world, as people are now surrounded by uncorroborated information and controversial issues.
Work Cited
Molière. Tartuffe. Dover Publications, 2000.