Literary Analysis Week 14, "Tartuffe"

I've decided to do a close reading on the play, "Tartuffe" By: Moliere for week 14. This play having targeted the hypocrisy of religious value got the attention of the Catholic Church who had the king ban it. I enjoyed reading this play because of how it showed the character Orgon choose to take the side of a man named Tartuffe rather than take the side of his family and I also thought it was interesting how manipulated Orgon was by this man. Tartuffe was a man who claimed he had found god which led him into poverty because he would rather pray than work. Orgon fell for this and throughout the story Orgon continuously has arguments with various family members about why Tartuffe isn't going anywhere.  One argument in particular which shows Orgons commitment to Tartuffe over his family  is in the argument between both Orgon and his son Damis when they say, " Orgon: Traitor! And how dare you even try to Tarnish this man's virtue with a lie? Damis: What? This hypocrite pretends to be contrite And you believe him over me? Orgon: That's spite! And shut your mouth!... Damis: He has seduced you!" (175-176). This quote shows the argument between Orgon and his son Damis who has just told his father that Tartuffe was making a move on Orgon's wife. Orgon as shown does not trust or believe that his son is telling the truth even though his son had seen the whole thing. The quote gives insight though that Orgon would defend a man who is in no family relation to him over his own son. Orgon's strong feelings towards Tartuffe is show when he describes Tartuffe to one of his family members saying, "If you only could know him as I do, You would be his true disciple, too. The universe, your ecstasy would span. This is a man... who.. ha!... well, such a man. Behold him. Let him teach you profound peace. When first we met, I felt my troubles cease. Yes, I was changed after I talked with him... He's taught me to love nothing and no one! Mother, father, wife, daughter, son- They could die right now, I'd feel no pain" (152). Here this quote demonstrates how Orgon sees Tartuffe as being someone he looked up too and liked having around him. He even claims that Tartuffe taught him to love no one which included his family but even when he says this it is clear when reading the play that he almost shows a love or obsession for Taruffe.  I think this story held the element of manipulation which was clearly shown many times in the story with Orgon ignoring everyone who told him the truth about Tartuffe. Overall, I enjoyed this play a lot and I think the author very much used this play to show some tendencies of faith that could be taken advantage of and used to manipulate others as portrayed by these two characters.

Moliere. "Tartuffe." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume D. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 144-197