Religious Fanaticism Essay -- essays research papers

In Molieres comedy Tartuffe, The play centers on thefamily of Orgon, a wealthy and impressionable man, hiscentral target of ridicule is Orgon. Orgon is Molieres subject of how man can be so blind in his devotion to abelief that he cannot make a good judgement as to thesincerity of others who would use that belief to deceivehim. This play fits into the concept of comedy because allof the elements of comedy are present. It happens that thetitle character is the villain rather than the hacek and some ofthe elements have been tampered with. In Tartuffe, wehave the classic comic scenario of two lovers, Valere andMarianne, trying to get together but being thwarted.However, instead of the villain, Tartuffe is not the unrivaled whois antagonizing them, it is Orgon who gets in the way.Orgon tries to flatter Tartuffe by offering Marianne to be hiswife. Before it is all over, Orgon ends up giving the deed toall his land to the deceitful Tartuffe. The other comicelements such as the unmaskin g of the villain and the happyending are also present in Tartuffe. It is in the duality ofOrgon, who is a believing and utilize subject, andTartuffe, the manipulating hypocrite. Moliere takes his shotat the extremes of enthusiastic belief. Tartuffe plays the roleof a man whose greedy actions are cloaked by a mask ofoverwhelming piety, modesty and ghostlike passion. Orgonis the head of a household who has taken Tartuffe in, andgiven him shelter and food. Everyone in the family, ex...