The comedy "Tartuffe" by Moliere, written in 1664, for several hundred centuries has been one of the most popular plays in the whole world. In his work, the French comedian harshly criticized such human vices as meanness, hypocrisy, stupidity, selfishness, cowardice.
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main characters
Tartuffe- a hypocritical saint, a rogue and a deceiver.
Orgone- the good-natured and trusting head of the family, who fell under the influence of the rogue Tartuffe.
Elmira- Orgon's wife, a wise and patient woman.
Damis- the son of Orgon, a hot-tempered young man.
Mariana- Orgon's daughter, Valera's fiancée, a calm and timid girl.
Other characters
Mrs Pernel- Orgon's mother.
Valera- a young man in love with Mariana.
Cleant- brother of Elmira, brother-in-law of Orgon.
Doreen- Mariana's maid, who takes care of her mistress in every possible way.
Action one
Phenomenon I
In great indignation, Madame Pernelle leaves her son's house. A woman “offended by blood” is sure that all household members will contradict her on purpose.
In turn, the whole family expresses dissatisfaction with Tartuffe - a hypocritical saint, in which Madame Parnelle does not like a soul. Having got into the confidence of the owner of the house, the beggar and pitiful Tartuffe realized himself so much that now he "rereads to everyone and thinks he is the ruler."
Madame Parnel stands up for her pet, in whom she sees an exceptionally kind, honest and just righteous man. Finding no support in anyone, she leaves home, threatening that she will not soon visit her relatives.
Phenomenon II
After the restless Mistress Parnel leaves, Doreena and Cleanthe continue to discuss the hated Tatuffe. They are forced to admit that even the old lady is "smarter than her son" who is so fascinated by the rogue that she puts him above her family. Orgone does not want to see the obvious - the rogue only puts on the mask of a devout righteous man who "made bigotry a source of profit."
Phenomena III-VI
Noticing that her husband has arrived, Elmira asks Cleant to stay and talk with Orgon about Mariana's upcoming wedding. The woman feels that in this matter, Tartuffe is plotting, postponing the ceremony.
Entering the house, Orgon first of all wonders how his beloved Tartuffe is doing. The maid says that all this time the lady felt very bad - she was "disturbed by the chills, then the heat of all the insides." However, Orgon does not listen to her and continues to wonder with what appetite Tartuffe ate and drank, whether he slept well, and in what mood he is currently.
Cleantus tries to reason with her sister's husband, open his eyes to the hypocrisy of his idol. But Orgone remains deaf to his speeches. Finally, Cleant tries to find out about the upcoming marriage of Mariana, but does not receive an intelligible answer from her brother-in-law.
Second action
Phenomena I-II
Orgone forces Mariana to marry Tartuffe, in which he sees the perfect son-in-law. Thus, he wants to fulfill his dream and "become related with Tartuffe." Dorina hears this conversation and stands up for her mistress, who was speechless from such a development of events. She tries to convince the owner that Tartuffe only wants to take his wealth in his hands.
Phenomena III-IV
Dorina shames her young mistress for not reacting in any way to the “unheard-of nonsense” - her father's desire to marry her to Tartuffe and in no way defended her love for Valera to him. In response, Mariana begins to make excuses, referring to the "power of the paternal principle."
The girl is very upset that the wedding with her beloved Valera may fail. An explanation takes place between the lovers, during which they quarrel violently. Wise Doreen reconciles them, and suggests stalling for as long as possible to upset Mariana's wedding with Tartuffe.
Act three
Phenomena I-III
Upon learning of his father's decision, an angry Damis seeks to “stop the tricks of the insolent man” and challenge Tartuffe to a frank conversation. Dorina asks the young man to moderate his ardor, and connect Elmira, with whom the saint is in love, to the solution of the issue.
Dorina goes to Tartuffe and invites him to talk with Madame Elmira. Hanzha is very happy about the upcoming date, which he has long dreamed of. He is not going to miss a suitable opportunity and confesses his love for Elmira.
The woman cools Tartuffe's love ardor by threatening to tell her husband about everything, and he will lose his "tried friend". Frightened, the saint takes his words back. Elmira promises to have mercy on the insolent man, but on one condition: Tartuffe must help “Valera and Mariana to marry”.
Phenomena IV-VII
Damis, who witnessed the conversation between his mother and Tartuffe, intends to tell his father about everything and "present a just" hypocrite to the court, whom he warmed on his chest.
Orgon does not believe the words of Damis, and accuses him of slandering the most honest of people. In anger, he deprives his son of his inheritance and kicks him out into the street. Fearing that the offended Tartuffe will leave his house, Orgon promises to grant him a deed of gift for all of his property.
Act four
Phenomena I-IV
Cleanthe turns to Tartuffe with a request to reconcile him with his father. He is surprised that a person who preaches Christian values so zealously will be able to calmly look at how "a father drove his child out into the street." However, the saint finds an excuse that heaven wants it so.
Mariana on her knees begs her father to moderate the "fatherly power" and save her from the hated marriage. Elmira invites her husband to see firsthand the hypocrisy of Tartuffe and observe his behavior, hiding under the table.
Phenomena V-VIII
Elmira invites Tartuffe to her place and confesses her love for him. At first, he does not believe her words, and asks for proof. The woman says that she is afraid of falling into sin, to which Tartuffe assures her that she should not be afraid, since no one will know about their little secret.
The angry Orgone orders the rascal to leave his house. However, Tartuffe brazenly declares that the luxurious house belongs to him, and that Orgon will soon leave him.
Fifth action
Phenomena I-III
Orgone is not so afraid of the dedication to Tartuffe, written by him, as a certain casket, which he handed over to the deceiver for safekeeping. The casket gave Orgon his "ill-fated friend" Argas, who had fled the country at one time. Now he is in complete power with Tartuffe, who can use compromising evidence at any time.
Madame Pernelle learns about what happened and cannot believe that her favorite turned out to be a hardened deceiver.
Phenomena IV-VIII
Valere brings the news that Tartuffe managed to denigrate Orgon before the king, and he needs to flee the country as quickly as possible. At this moment, Tartuffe appears in the house, accompanied by an officer. However, the representative of the authorities arrests not Orgon, but Tartuffe.
The officer explains that the wise and just monarch quickly saw through the vile nature of the saint. He forgives Orgone keeping the casket, and also "the sovereign power destroys the meaning of the gift". To celebrate, Orgon is in a hurry to express his gratitude to the sovereign and to begin preparations for the wedding of Mariana and Valera.
Conclusion
In his work, Moliere managed to organically combine the foundations of classicism and realism. All his characters and everyday sketches are real, and very close and understandable to the reader.
After reading a short retelling of Tartuffe, we recommend reading the full version of the famous play.
Play test
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Retelling rating
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In the house of the venerable Orgon, at the invitation of the owner, a certain M. Tartuffe settled. Orgone doted on him, considering him an incomparable model of righteousness and wisdom: Tartuffe's speeches were extremely sublime, teachings - thanks to which Orgone learned that the world is a big cesspool, and now he would not blink an eye, burying his wife, children and other loved ones - eminently useful, piety aroused admiration; and how selflessly Tartuffe blinded the morality of the Orgon family ...
Of all the household, Orgon's admiration for the newly-minted righteous man was shared, however, only by his mother, Madame Pernel. Elmira, Orgon's wife, her brother Cleant, Orgon's children Damis and Mariana, and even the servants saw in Tartuffe what he really was - a hypocritical saint, cleverly using Orgon's delusion in his unwise earthly interests: to eat deliciously and sleep softly, to have a reliable roof over your head and some other benefits.
Orgone's households were utterly disgusted with Tartuffe's moral teachings, with his worries about decency he scared away almost all his friends from the house. But as soon as someone spoke badly about this zealot of piety, Madame Pernel made stormy scenes, and Orgon, he simply remained deaf to any speeches not imbued with admiration for Tartuffe. When Orgon returned from a short absence and demanded that Doreen's servant report on the news of the house, the news of his wife's discomfort left him completely indifferent, while the story of how Tartuffe happened to overeat at dinner, then snooze until noon, and sip some wine at breakfast. filled Orgon with compassion for the poor man.
Orgon's daughter, Mariana, was in love with a noble youth named Valera, and her brother Damis, with her sister Valera. Orgon seems to have already agreed to the marriage of Mariana and Valera, but for some reason everything was postponing the wedding. Damis, worried about his own fate - his marriage to his sister Valera was to follow the wedding of Mariana - asked Cleant to find out from Orgon what the reason for the delay was. Orgon responded to questions so evasively and unintelligibly that Cleantus suspected that he had not decided to somehow dispose of his daughter's future.
Exactly how Orgon sees Mariana's future, it became clear when he told his daughter that Tartuffe's excellence needed a reward, and such a reward would be his marriage to her, Mariana. The girl was stunned, but did not dare to contradict her father. Doreena had to stand up for her: the servant tried to convince Orgone that to marry Mariana for Tartuffe - a beggar, a low-hearted freak - would mean to become the object of ridicule of the whole city, and besides, to push her daughter on the path of sin, for no matter how virtuous the girl was, not it is simply impossible to instruct a hubby like Tartuffe. Doreena spoke very passionately and convincingly, but, despite this, Orgon remained adamant in his determination to intermarry with Tartuffe.
Mariana was ready to submit to the will of her father - so she was told by the daughter's duty. Resignation, dictated by natural timidity and respect for her father, tried to overcome Doreen in her, and she almost managed to do this, unfolding before Mariana vivid pictures of the conjugal happiness prepared for him and Tartuffe.
But when Valera asked Mariana if she was going to submit to Orgon's will, the girl replied that she did not know. In a fit of despair, Valera advised her to do as her father ordered, while he himself would find himself a bride who would not change this word; Mariana replied that she would only be glad of this, and as a result, the lovers almost parted forever, but then Dorina arrived in time. She convinced young people to fight for their happiness. But only they need to act not directly, but in roundabout ways, to drag out for time, and then something will certainly be arranged, because everyone - Elmira, Cleant, and Damis - is against Orgon's absurd plan,
Damis, even too determined, was going to properly rein in Tartuffe, so that he would forget to think about marrying Mariana. Doreen tried to cool his ardor, to suggest that cunning could achieve more than threats, but she could not completely convince him of this.
Suspecting that Tartuffe was not indifferent to Orgon's wife, Dorina asked Elmira to talk to him and find out what he himself thought about marriage to Mariana. When Dorina told Tartuffe that the mistress wanted to talk to him face to face, the holy man perked up. At first, scattering in front of Elmira in heavy compliments, he would not let her open his mouth, but when she finally asked a question about Mariana, Tartuffe began to assure her that his heart was captivated by another. To Elmira's bewilderment - how is it possible, a man of a holy life and suddenly seized by carnal passion? - her adorer answered with fervor that yes, he is devout, but at the same time he is also a man, that his heart is not a flint ... Immediately, without hesitation, Tartuffe suggested Elmira to indulge in the delights of love. In response, Elmira asked how, according to Tartuffe, her husband would behave when he heard about his vile harassment. The frightened gentleman begged Elmira not to ruin him, and then she offered a deal: Orgon would not know anything, while Tartuffe, for his part, would try to get Mariana to go down the aisle with Valera as soon as possible.
Damis ruined everything. He overheard the conversation and, indignant, rushed to his father. But, as might be expected, Orgon believed not his son, but Tartuffe, who this time surpassed himself in hypocritical self-deprecation. In anger, he ordered Damis to get out of sight and announced that today Tartuffe would marry Mariana. As a dowry, Orgon gave his future son-in-law all his fortune.
For the last time, Cleanthe tried to humanly talk with Tartuffe and convince him to reconcile with Damis, to give up the unjustly acquired property and from Mariana - after all, it is not proper for a Christian to use a quarrel between a father and a son for his own enrichment, and even more so to condemn a girl to lifelong torment. But Tartuffe, a distinguished rhetorician, had an excuse for everything.
Mariana begged her father not to give her to Tartuffe - let him take the dowry, and she'd better go to the monastery. But Orgon, having learned something from his pet, without batting an eye, convinced the poor thing of the soul-saving life of her husband, who causes only disgust - after all, mortification of the flesh is only useful. Finally, Elmira could not stand it - since her husband does not believe the words of those close to him, he should personally make sure of the baseness of Tartuffe. Convinced that he will have to make sure just the opposite - in the morality of the righteous, - Orgon agreed to climb under the table and from there overhear a conversation that Elmira and Tartuffe would have in private.
Tartuffe immediately fell for Elmira's feigned speeches that she supposedly had a strong feeling for him, but at the same time showed a certain prudence: before refusing to marry Mariana, he wanted to get from her stepmother, so to speak, a tangible pledge of tender feelings. As for the violation of the commandment, which will be associated with the delivery of this pledge, then, as Tartuffe assured Elmira, he has his own ways of negotiating with heaven.
What Orgon heard from under the table was enough to finally crush his blind faith in the holiness of Tartuffe. He told the scoundrel to immediately get out, he tried to make excuses, but now it was useless. Then Tartuffe changed his tone and, before proudly retiring, promised to cruelly get even with Orgon.
Tartuffe's threat was not unfounded: firstly, Orgon had already managed to straighten out a deed of gift to his house, which from today belonged to Tartuffe; secondly, he entrusted the vile villain with a box with papers exposing his brother, who was forced to leave the country for political reasons.
It was necessary to urgently look for some way out. Damis volunteered to beat Tartuffe and discourage him from harming, but Cleanthe stopped the young man - with his mind, he argued, you can achieve more than fists. Orgone's household hadn't come up with anything like that when the bailiff, Mr. Loyal, appeared on the doorstep of the house. He brought the order to vacate Mr. Tartuffe's house by tomorrow morning. At this point, not only Damis's hands were combed, but also those of Dorina and even Orgon himself.
As it turned out, Tartuffe did not fail to use the second opportunity he had to ruin the life of his recent benefactor: Valera brought the news that the villain had given the king a box with papers, and now Orgon faces arrest for aiding his rebel brother. Orgon decided to flee before it was too late, but the guards got ahead of him: the officer who entered announced that he was arrested.
Together with the royal officer, Tartuffe came to the house of Orgon. The family members, including Mrs. Pernel, who finally recovered her sight, began to shame the hypocritical villain together, listing all his sins. Tom soon got tired of this, and he turned to the officer with a request to protect his person from vile attacks, but in response, to his great - and general - amazement, he heard that he had been arrested.
As the officer explained, in fact, he did not come for Orgon, but in order to see how Tartuffe goes to the end in his shamelessness. The wise king, the enemy of lies and the bulwark of justice, from the very beginning had suspicions about the identity of the informer and was, as always, right - under the name of Tartuffe, a villain and a swindler was hiding, on whose account a great many dark deeds. By his authority, the sovereign canceled the deed to the house and forgave Orgon for indirectly aiding his rebellious brother.
Tartuffe was escorted to prison in disgrace, while Orgon had no choice but to praise the wisdom and generosity of the monarch, and then bless the union of Valera and Mariana.
Retold
On the stage of the Moscow Art Theater, Anatoly Efros staged one of his most Vakhtangov performances. He turned to Jean-Baptiste Moliere's most popular comedy, Tartuffe, and staged an incredibly funny, but at the same time clever performance, where Stanislav Lyubshin made his debut in the title role on the Moscow Art Theater stage.
At that time, the work of the actor seemed to many to be controversial, but one thing is certain - it was in the account of the personality of this artist, the dialogue, or even a dispute with him, that the production was calculated. It is no coincidence that Efros, even before the start of rehearsals, wrote: “Tartuffe is impudent, purposeful. He is flexible. He's dangerous! I see an artist who could play all this well - Smoktunovsky. Or maybe even Lyubshin? They, it seems to me, have these scary colors. We must play not a hypocrite, but a contender for power. The politician. A man capable of conquering and intoxicating. "
When the premiere came out, it seemed to many that it was not Tartuffe that took the first place here - at first glance, Lyubshin's work seemed so dull in comparison with the brilliance of colors revealed by Alexander Kalyagin (Orgon) and Anastasia Vertinskaya (Elmira). But this was another Ephrosophical "shape-shifter". Just as the inhabitants of Orgon's house do not immediately notice how a "snake" creeps into their house, just as Tartuffe-Lyubshin is not immediately taken into account.
Against the background of the space draped with luxurious golden fabrics, against the background of an incredibly huge chandelier with candles flickering under the caps, which rose at the beginning of each act and fell at the end (set designer - Dmitry Krymov), against the background of colorful and whimsical camisoles and dresses, unobtrusively stylized for the era "King of the Sun" (costume designer - Valentina Komolova), his first appearance in a gray velvet suit, Tartuffe Lyubshina evoked associations with a gray mouse. You don't get used to such a youthful, lean, restrained, self-confident Tartuffe right away, but gradually, from stage to stage, the actor and hero, following the director's will, unfold into a frightening and extremely modern image. A rude, arrogant cynic with a crooked grin and a frankly shameless look, he goes ahead. He does not disdain small deeds, is capable of undisguised meanness, but the worst thing about him is his frightening routine. Stanislav Lyubshin plays a person who is always there, who (under certain circumstances) can turn out to be each of us.
And he (Tartuffe) is this notorious hypocrite, which means that the actor is the only non-comedian in this festive Moliere theater, where the first actress is the beautiful Elmira. Anastasia Vertinskaya plays a brilliant young woman who picks up all the threads of intrigue, and for this she has to show all the artistry of her nature, use all her charm and lull the suspicions of the distrustful Tartuffe. Someone called her "a daring seducer with frightened eyes," and, indeed, such an image works best in a seduction scene. Vertinskaya very accurately and gracefully conducts this scene - every gesture is inimitable and graceful, every glance charms - that's really true, in the words of Moliere, "bashfulness with tenderness is waging a cruel battle."
And if in Anastasia Vertinskaya's play there is a high comedy: an elegant marivodage, adjacent to the brilliance of Beaumarchais's images, then Alexander Kalyagin, in the image of his Orgon, gives the viewer an example of a comedy of innocence. Comedy bordering on true drama. After all, Orgone, as Kalyagin imagines him, under the guise of charming good nature plays the drama of deceived trust, to say the least, of faith. His Orgone desperately believes in the virtue of the person he has sheltered, and holds on to this faith to the last, and when he is deprived of faith, it breaks down. The truth turns out to be deadly. And now the final scene: Tartuffe was tied hand and foot, he is about to be sent to court - it would seem that the enemy is defeated. And here, from a soft, good-natured person, as we watched the whole performance of Orgon, frightening features suddenly break out: he rages, restrained by Valera and Cleant, thrashes his legs in impotent rage and spits at the one whom he recently raised so high ...
And this finale, perhaps, overlaps in its impact even the culminating scene with the exposure of Tartuffe - the famous scene between Tartuffe, Elmira and Orgon. And such a dramatic, cruel note is the best fit as the final code of the mischievous and easy comedy played by the Moscow Art Theater actors. For two hours, the action captivates the viewer with rapid rhythms, sparkling like blades, replicas and unrestrained theatricality. Buffon sparkle spills out from the stage into the stalls, which gives in to the director's unrestrained fantasy and pays for it with almost incessant laughter. But the performance ends, quite a bit of time passes, and the fun begins to recede, giving way to not at all rosy thoughts about human nature. This is the aftertaste that remains after the "champagne bottle" offered to the viewer by Anatoly Efros and the Moscow Art Theater actors.
Moliere Jean-Baptiste
Tartuffe, or the Deceiver
Jean-Baptiste Moliere
Tartuffe, or the Deceiver
Comedy in five acts
CHARACTERS
Ms. Pernel, his mother.
Elmira, his wife.
Damis, his son.
Mariana, his daughter.
Valera, a young man in love with Mariana.
Cleant, brother of Elmira.
Tartuffe, saint.
Dorina, Mariana's maid.
Mr. Loyal, bailiff.
Flipota, Lady Pernel's maid.
The action takes place in Paris, in the house of Orgon.
______________________________________________
* ACTION ONE *
THE FIRST APPEARANCE
Ms. Pernel, Elmira, Mariana, Damis, Dorina,
Cleant. Flipot.
Ms Pernel
Flipot! March after me! .. Let them be here by themselves ...
Wait, mamma! We can't keep up with you.
Ms Pernel
You should respect me first, not now.
Without your wires, I will find where the door is.
Oh no! A sense of duty tells us to accompany you.
But why did you stay with us for such a short time?
Ms Pernel
But because this whole house is hateful to me
And there is no more strength to bear your insolence.
They do not put me in a penny, they contradict me, every word.
Truly, nothing is sacred to them!
Everyone is arguing, everyone is yelling, there is no respect in anyone.
Yes, this is not a family, but an insane asylum!
Ms Pernel
My sweetheart! I have often noticed
That you are too impudent and too loud.
I don’t ask the impudent servants for advice.
Ms Pernel
You are a fool, my precious grandson,
And it's time to grow wiser - you are already quite a few years old.
I warned my son a hundred times
That his offspring is a hefty goof,
With which he will take his fill of grief.
But, grandma ...
Ms Pernel
No way, she said a word
Quiet granddaughter? A humble lamb?
Oh, shy girl! I'm afraid the proverb about her
That the still waters are full of devils.
But, mamma ...
Ms Pernel
Please, dear daughter-in-law,
Do not be angry that I will speak out sharply.
They had 6 now their own mother is alive,
She would teach the wrong thing to her children
And this fool, and this fool.
You are wasteful. Dressed like a princess.
If wives think only of their husbands,
They don't need to dress up to smithereens at all.
Madam!..
Ms Pernel
Ah, you, her dearest brother!
Can it be that the stream of absurdities and inconsistencies,
What do you dare to pass off as wisdom,
Do you want to spew on me again?
In the place of your venerable son-in-law
And my son, without wasting words on arguments,
I would stop letting you on the doorstep.
I don't want to flatter you. Truthfulness is not a vice.
Your Monsieur Tartuffe is a trickster, there is no doubt about that ...
Ms Pernel
He is a righteous man! His good instructions are Soul-saving. It's a shame for the whole family
What are you, baby sucker, starting an argument with him.
But what should I, to be silent before the uninvited guest, Who here, with us, has become an omnipotent tyrant?
Don't do anything, don't say a word
Without the permission of the obnoxious bigot!
Listen to the sermon of the stubborn saint,
Everyone will be so bad, only he is good.
From morning till night he teaches us.
Ms Pernel
And he is, of course, right. Your home is mired in sin.
This person leads you to the path of salvation,
And my son teaches you to respect him.
No one will inspire me, not even my father,
That the righteous Tartuffe. He's just a rogue.
I will stand on that, let me be hanged!
His words, his antics infuriate me.
This goose disgusts me to the extreme,
And I have a presentiment that I will still get to grips with him.
No, think about it! Isn't this a miracle?
God knows who appeared, from nowhere,
In beggar's rags, almost barefoot,
And - here you are, I've already got my hands on the whole house.
And it came to the point that, contrary to reason,
We must all dance to his tune now.
Ms Pernel
I. it would be better for you not to bicker with him,
And to live, as he teaches, according to the rules of the saints.
Saints? Is such gullibility befitting you?
Is there any holiness here? Only hypocrisy!
Ms Pernel
His servant, Laurent, is a match for him,
Neither of them can be trusted a dime.
Ms Pernel
I have nothing to do with his servant,
But I can safely vouch for the owner.
It's easy to guess how he pissed you off:
He speaks to the eyes the whole truth without embellishment.
He, the fierce enemy of sin and purity, the guardian,
Condemns immorality and glorifies virtue.
How is it? Why is this preacher
Have you turned away all the guests from our house?
Is it possible that their arrival is so displeasing to God,
To sound the alarm every time because of this?
We are all our own, and I will tell you the truth:
He's just
(points to Elmira)
jealous of mistress.
Ms Pernel
You don't know what to invent out of anger.
But all these guests of yours are suspicious
Not to him alone. Not so big a secret
That the line of carriages crowding under the windows
And the servants are always huddling at the porch
For a long time already the eyes of the whole district have been an eyesore.
Let these gatherings be innocent. But you
We must understand that there is food for word of mouth.
Would you like to hide from evil speech?
Suppose I could stop the empty chatter,
Having renounced faithful friends for that, -
But wouldn't life then become sadder?
Yes if 6, following your advice,
We dared to make this sacrifice,
Wicked gossipers couldn’t be gagged?
There is no cure for libel in the world.
We need to live honestly and despise slander,
And let the gossips talk to your health.
And who started a malicious rumor about us?
It's not hard to guess. I'll name them for you.
There are no great masters of bad inventions,
Than Daphne with her faithful husband.
Those who are unclean in their souls have a grip on misinterpretations.
Such will hear something, peep,
They will lie from three boxes and spread rumors,
In a minute they will make an elephant out of a fly.
What is their vile fuss calculated for?
Decent people are denigrated and blackened,
They hope that it will be more comfortable for them:
In the midst of the general blackness, you cannot see their rogues,
And if you do not push the rumor on the wrong track,
We'll have to answer for the sins ourselves.
Ms Pernel
Out of place, dear, you breed raceies.
There are no women on earth more respectable and holier
Orants, and meanwhile I have heard more than once
She strongly disapproves of you.
This person is indeed highly moral.
But what was she like at the time of it?
Old age helped her to overcome temptations.
Yes, morality grows stronger when the flesh becomes decrepit. Old, spoiled by attention and success,
Composition
In the mid-1660s, Moliere creates his best comedies, in which he criticizes the vices of the clergy, nobility and the bourgeoisie. The first of these was "Tartuffe, or the Deceiver" (editions of 1664, 1667 and 1669) ._ The play was to be shown during the grandiose court festival "Amusement of the Enchanted Island", which took place in May 1664 in Versailles. However, the play upset the holiday. A real conspiracy arose against Moliere, led by Queen Mother Anne of Austria. Moliere was accused of insulting religion and the church, demanding punishment for this. The performances of the play ceased.
Moliere made an attempt to stage the play in a new version. In the first edition of 1664, Tartuffe was a clergyman. The rich Parisian bourgeois Orgon, into whose house this rogue, playing a saint, penetrates, does not yet have a daughter - the priest Tartuffe could not marry her. Tartuffe cleverly gets out of a difficult situation, despite the accusations of Orgon's son, who caught him at the time of courting his stepmother Elmira. Tartuffe's triumph clearly indicated the danger of hypocrisy.
In the second edition (1667; like the first, it did not reach us) Moliere expanded the play, added two more acts to the existing three, where he depicted the connections of the hypocrite Tartuffe with the court, court and police. Tartuffe was named Panulf and became a socialite intent on marrying Orgon's daughter Marianne. The comedy, which bore the name "The Deceiver", ended with the exposure of Panyulf and the glorification of the king. In the last version that has come down to us (1669), the hypocrite was again called Tartuffe, and the whole play was called "Tartuffe, or the Deceiver."
The king knew about Moliere's play and approved of his plan. Fighting for "Tartuffe", in the first "Petition" to the king, Moliere defended comedy, defended himself against accusations of atheism and spoke about the social role of the satirist writer. The king did not remove the ban from the play, but he also did not heed the advice of the rabid saints “to burn not only the book, but also its author, a demon, an atheist and a libertine who wrote a functions "(" The Greatest King of the World ", pamphlet of Doctor Sorbonne Pierre Roullet, 1664).
Permission to stage the play in its second edition was given by the king orally, in a hurry, when he left for the army. Immediately after the premiere, the comedy was again banned by the President of Parliament (the highest judicial institution) Lamoignon, and the Parisian Archbishop Perefix published a message where he forbade all parishioners and clergymen to "present, read or listen to a dangerous play" on pain of excommunication. Moliere poisoned the second "Petition" at the king's headquarters, in which he declared that he would stop writing altogether if the king did not come to his defense. The king promised to investigate. Meanwhile, the comedy is read in private homes, distributed in manuscripts, and performed in private home performances (for example, in the palace of the Prince of Condé in Chantilly). In 1666, the Queen Mother died and this gave Louis XIV the opportunity to promise Moliere an early permission to stage. The year 1668 came, the year of the so-called "ecclesiastical peace" between Orthodox Catholicism and Jansenism, which contributed to a certain tolerance in religious matters. It was then that the production of "Tartuffe" was allowed. On February 9, 1669, the play was performed with great success.
What caused such violent attacks on "Tartuffe"? Moliere has long been attracted to the topic of hypocrisy, which he observed throughout public life. In this comedy, Moliere turned to the most common type of hypocrisy at that time - religious - and wrote it based on his observations of the activities of a secret religious society - the "Society of Holy Gifts", which was patronized by Anne of Austria and whose members were both Lamoignon and Perefix. and the princes of the church, and the nobles, and the bourgeois. The king did not authorize the open activities of this ramified organization, which had existed for more than 30 years, the activities of the society were surrounded by the greatest mystery. Acting under the motto "Suppress every evil, contribute to every good", the members of the society set the fight against free-thinking and godlessness as their main task. Having access to private homes, they essentially performed the functions of a secret police, conducting secret surveillance of their suspects, collecting facts allegedly proving their guilt, and on this basis, handing over the alleged criminals to the authorities. Members of the society preached severity and asceticism in morals, reacted negatively to all kinds of secular entertainment and theater, pursued a passion for fashion. Moliere watched as the members of the "Society of the Holy Gifts" subtly and skillfully rubbed themselves into other people's families, how they subjugate people, completely taking over their conscience and their will. This prompted the plot of the play, while the character of Tartuffe was formed from the typical features inherent in members of the "Society of the Holy Gifts".
Like them, Tartuffe is associated with the court, with the police, he is patronized at the court. He hides his true appearance, posing as an impoverished nobleman looking for food on the church porch. He penetrates into the Orgon family because in this house, after the marriage of the owner with the young Elmira, instead of the former piety, free morals, merriment, and critical speeches reign. In addition, Orgon's friend Argas, a political exile, a member of the Parliamentary Fronde (1649), left him incriminating documents that are kept in a box. Such a family might well have seemed suspicious to the Society, and such families were being followed.
Tartuffe is not the embodiment of hypocrisy as a common human vice, it is a socially generalized type. No wonder he is not at all alone in comedy: both his servant Laurent, and the bailiff Loyal, and the old woman, Orgon's mother, Mrs. Pernel, are hypocritical. They all cover up their unsightly deeds with godly speeches and watch the behavior of others vigilantly. The characteristic appearance of Tartuffe is created by his imaginary holiness and humility: “In church every day he prayed near me, // In a pious fit, kneel down. // He attracted everyone's attention ”(I, 6). Tartuffe is not devoid of external attractiveness, he has courteous, insinuating manners, behind which are prudence, energy, an ambitious desire to rule, the ability to take revenge. He settled well in the house of Orgon, where the owner not only satisfies his slightest whims, but is also ready to give him his daughter Marianne, a wealthy heiress, as his wife. Orgone confides in him all the secrets, including entrusting the storage of the treasured casket with incriminating documents. Tartuffe succeeds because he is a subtle psychologist; playing on the fear of the gullible Orgon, he forces the latter to reveal any secrets to him. Tartuffe covers up his insidious plans with religious arguments. He is perfectly aware of his strength, and therefore does not restrain his vicious instincts. He does not love Marianne, she is only a profitable bride for him, he was carried away by the beautiful Elmira, whom Tartuffe is trying to seduce. His casuistic reasoning that betrayal is not a sin, if no one knows about it, outrages Elmira. Damis, the son of Orgon, a witness of a secret meeting, wants to expose the villain, but he, having taken a pose of self-flagellation and repentance for allegedly imperfect sins, again makes Orgon his protector. When, after the second date, Tartuffe falls into a trap and Orgon drives him out of the house, he begins to take revenge, fully showing his vicious, corrupt and selfish nature.
But Moliere does more than expose hypocrisy. In Tartuffe, he poses an important question: why did Orgon allow himself to be so deceived? This already middle-aged man, clearly not stupid, with a tough disposition and a strong will, succumbed to the widespread fashion for piety. Orgon believed in the piety and "holiness" of Tartuffe and sees in him his spiritual mentor. However, he becomes a pawn in the hands of Tartuffe, who shamelessly declares that Orgon would rather believe him "than his own eyes" (IV, 5). The reason for this is the inertia of Orgon's consciousness, brought up in submission to authorities. This inertia does not give him the opportunity to critically comprehend the phenomena of life and evaluate the people around him. If Orgone nevertheless gains a healthy outlook on the world after the exposure of Tartuffe, then his mother, the old woman Pernel, a stupidly pious supporter of inert patriarchal views, never saw the true face of Tartuffe.
The young generation, represented in the comedy, who immediately saw the true face of Tartuffe, are united by the servant Doreena, who has long and devotedly served in the house of Orgon and enjoys love and respect here. Her wisdom, common sense, insight help to find the most suitable means to fight the cunning rogue.
The comedy "Tartuffe" was of great social importance. In it, Moliere portrayed not private family relations, but the most harmful social vice - hypocrisy. In the Preface to Tartuffe, an important theoretical document, Moliere explains the meaning of his play. He affirms the social purpose of comedy, declares that “the task of comedy is to castigate vices, and there should be no exceptions. From the state point of view, the vice of hypocrisy is one of the most dangerous in its consequences. The theater, on the other hand, has the ability to counteract vice. " It was hypocrisy, according to Moliere's definition, the main state vice of France of his time, and became the object of his satire. In a comedy that provokes laughter and fear, Moliere painted a deep picture of what was happening in France. Hypocrites such as Tartuffe, despots, informers and avengers, dominate the country with impunity, commit genuine atrocities; lawlessness and violence are the results of their activities. Moliere painted a picture that should have alerted those who ruled the country. And although the ideal king at the end of the play does the right thing (which was explained by Moliere's naive belief in a just and reasonable monarch), the social situation described by Moliere seems threatening.
Moliere the artist, creating Tartuffe, used a wide variety of means: here you can find elements of farce (Orgone is hiding under the table), comedy of intrigue (the history of the box with documents), comedy of morals (scenes in the house of a rich bourgeois), comedy of characters (dependence of development actions from the character of the hero). At the same time, Moliere's work is a typical classicist comedy. All the "rules" are strictly observed in it: it is designed not only to entertain, but also to instruct the viewer. In the “Preface” to “Tartuffe” it is said: “Nothing can get through people like depicting their shortcomings. They listen to reproaches indifferently, but they cannot endure ridicule. Comedy in pleasant teachings reproaches people for their shortcomings. "
During the years of the struggle for Tartuffe, Moliere created his most significant satirical and oppositional comedies.
