Preview

Compare Candide and Tartuffe

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
5537 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Compare Candide and Tartuffe
In Tartuffe, Moliere's use's plot to defend and oppose characters that symbolize and ridicule habitual behavior's that was imposed during the neo-classical time period. His work, known as a comedy of manners, consists of flat characters, with few and similar traits and that always restore some kind of peace in the end. He down plays society as a whole by creating a microseism, where everyone in the family has to be obedient, respectful, and mindful of the head of the home, which is played by the father Orgon. Mariane shows her obedience when she replies "To please you, sir, is what delights me best." (Moliere 324,11) Shortly afterwards, Orgon commands Mariane to take Tartuffe as her husband even though she is not interested in him at all. Orgon's command shows how men are dominate and have control over social order. Mariane's strong obedience to her father (Orgon) supports the Neo-Classical element that the individual is not as important as society. Moliere discusses logic and reasoning by blindfolding Orgon to the reality of Tartuffe's intentions that causes him to make dumb decisions. In the process, Orgon disregard's his family when told of Tartuffe's intentions. After Tartuffe cons Orgon into believing that Damis's accusation is false Orgon replies, "I know your motives, I now you wish him ill:/Yes, all of you - wife, children, servants, all - /Conspire against him and desire his fall." (Moliere 341-342,46-48) Orgon then excommunicates his own son, indicating that his reasoning is deferred due to his ignorance. This in due course challenges the Neo-Classical belief that logic and reasoning is more important than emotion because Orgon acts solely on his emotions. He feels as if his family has turned against his friend so he operates upon his feelings. When Damis returns home and Tartuffe (instead of Orgon) gets locked up, order is restored. At the end, the family commends the officer for apprehending the true criminal by saying, "Heaven be praised! / We're safe.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Jared Dick final exam #1

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In Tartuffe (1664), as in his other plays, Moliere employs classic comic devices of plot and character. Here, a foolish, stubborn father blocking the course of young love: an impudent servant commenting on her superiors’ actions; a happy ending involving a marriage facilitated by implausible means. He often uses such devices, however, to comment on his own immediate social scene, imagining how universal patterns play themselves out in a specific historical context.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    4. In Tartuffe, Moliere uses dialogue to express irony in the play. When Orgon tells his brother-in-law, “You do not know the man of whom you speak,” it is ironic because although Cleante has never met Tartuffe in person, he does know that he is deceiving everyone. It is also ironic because Orgon is saying this even though he does not know Tartuffe’s true intentions. It is also ironic when Orgon says “Under his[Tartuffe] tutelage my soul’s been freed from earthly loves, and every human tie: My mother, children, brother, and wife could die, and I’d not feel a single moment’s pain,”( 276-279) because Orgon thinks that Tartuffe has taught him to free himself of human ties including family, but in actuality, he is placing Tartuffe so ahead of his family that he no longer cares about his family.…

    • 1360 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Candide Review

    • 10414 Words
    • 42 Pages

    those who say everything is well are uttering mere stupidities; they should say everything is for the best. Candide lives in the castle of the baron of Thunder-ten-tronckh in Westphalia. Candide is the illegitimate son of the baron’s sister. His mother refused to marry his father because his father’s family tree could only be traced through “seventy-one quarterings.” The castle’s tutor, Pangloss, teaches “metaphysico-theologo-cosmolo-nigology” and believes that this world is the “best of all possible worlds.” Candide listens to Pangloss with great attention and faith. Miss Cunégonde, the baron’s daughter, spies Pangloss and a maid, Paquette, engaged in a lesson in “experimental physics.” Seized with the desire for knowledge, she hurries to find Candide. They flirt and steal a kiss behind a screen. The baron catches them and banishes Candide.…

    • 10414 Words
    • 42 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Enlightenment Period authors found their roles in life were to teach and entertain their audience. In Jean-Baptist Poquelin Moliere’s Tartuffe and Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man, both artist achieve the Enlightenment’s goal, to teach and entertain. Both writers use satire, optimism, and emphasis on reason to inform and keep the attention of their audience. There are some regards that Moliere and Pope sacrificed art, creativity, or entertainment just for educations. Readers of both works will realize that there are no other works like the two and the two works are entertaining and teach audiences valuable lessons. Therefore, both Moliere and Pope effectively fulfill the…

    • 1278 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For example, Candide claims to be the best man in the world but then murders three men, two of them priests. “... I am the best man in the world, and here are three men I’ve killed already, and two of the three were priests,” (123). In Tartuffe, the grandmother of the family, Madame Pernelle, wanted the family name to be upheld by supporting Tartuffe, but did not see the hidden evil of Tartuffe which would curse the family name. In both stories several instances of good and evil juxtapositions, first seeing the good intentions of the characters, followed by the exaggerated evil that lies underneath the event. Good and evil juxtapositions, as well as excess and moderation, are themes commonly revisited throughout both Candide and…

    • 1061 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tartuffe Gender Roles

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In Tartuffe, Elmire character is resourceful and intelligent woman much like Dorine. Elmire is clearly shown to be mentally superior to her husband and becomes frustrated with him, of his gullibility concerning with Tartuffe, saying bluntly that" Orgons blindness take her breath away" (Moliere). When Orgon refuses to acknowledge that Tartuffe could possibly commit treacherous intentions, Elmire takes the initiative and convince her "hard headed" husband to hide while she manipulates Tartuffe into admitting his wicked intentions (Moliere). The fact that Elmire is forced to manipulate her husband decision rather than make her own, however, is a clear illustration of the subordinate status of women in eighteen century. Elmire character is much like Dorin: strong and…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Arnolphe, a wealthy fifty-two year old man, returns home after a ten-day absence. He recently renamed himself “Monsieur de la Souche” (after a tree stump on his estate). His friend Chrysalde has a few opposing opinions to share with him, his thoughts on his new name being only one of them. He also warns him about the faultiness of his longtime plan of confining his ward, Agnès, to a convent to “be raised in ignorance of life” that someday she may be his innocent and dutiful wife. Arnolphe pays him no heed. Now that Agnès is of marrying age, he moves her into his house and plans to soon wed her.…

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    When reading a work of fiction, one has to be aware of different writing styles that will clue you into the information that the author wants one to pick up on. In the works, Molière 's "Tartuffe" and Voltaire 's "Candide" the themes of appearance vs. reality can be found. I will be discussing this theme which is both obvious and subtle depending on the author. I will be discussing the theme of appearance vs. reality.…

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Candide

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Candide has many encounters and travels through many places that help to lead him to his final statement, which shows that he wants to pursue his own happiness and not just let things happen the way they are apparently meant to happen without explanation. Throughout the novel, we see how Candide changes when he travels throughout the world, the events that have the greatest impact on him, and how he becomes different at the end of the story.…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Meursault’s reactions are rarely what the reader envisions as appropriate. People feel disconnected-- disheartened and confused-- when Meursault claims his Maman’s death “doesn’t mean anything” (3). The level of indifference he feels and the actions he performs: making excuses to his boss, having lunch at Celeste’s, going to swim and a movie with Marie, all have the readers questioning Meursault’s character. This displeased feeling continues through the first half of the novel with Meursault’s uncaring and robotic behaviors of watching “families out for a walk… the local boys [going] by… the shopkeepers and the cats” (21-22). One then starts to wonder. One…

    • 425 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The context surrounding the period in which Tartuffe was written in, the 17th Century is remembered as being a time of extreme power for the French Monarchy. King Louis XIV and Cardinal Richelieu transformed France’s feudal monarchy to an absolute monarchy. What must also be noted about this time is the fact that the Catholic Church and Politicians had a great deal of power over authors and playwrights. In this time of social and religious persecution, Molière created Tartuffe , a comedy dealing with hypocrisy and to a great extent, religion and how religion can be used in a negative way, to mask sin. The play is known to be offensive towards the Catholic Church and religion in general. When it was first performed in 1664, it was censored, it then took 5 years, until 1669 for the revised version of the play to be authorised. However it was and still is criticised by the religious community, as they believe Molière is attacking faith causing offense and a perception that he’s trying to destroy people’s faith in religion. A quote which adequately expresses the central meaning of the play and which shows that the play is an attack on religion, in particular the Catholic Church is in Molière a playwright and his audience, By William Driver Hawarth (p.203) and states;…

    • 2060 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Candide

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How are woman treated in the novel? How do their experiences differ from those of the male characters? How, in general, do they react to their treatment?…

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In 1664, Molière wrote a satire piece of literature, Tartuffe, that riled up a great deal of critics especially from making a mockery of the Church which during this time had a supreme expanse of power. Molière dances around the question of where has religion gone in the age of science? For if you are a rational man, then you will question the world around you because in order to change the past you must challenge it. If you don’t question it, then you will live in a repeated cycle of injustice and tradition. Justice is shown to be stronger since it consists of wisdom and virtue, whereas injustice portrays ignorance and absurdity. In the play a hypocritical unlawful man disguises himself as a manipulative holy man in order to meet his ends…

    • 1685 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Family and Tartuffe

    • 363 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Tartuffe is a prime example of how trusting someone too much can go wrong. Orgon was initially blinded by the type of person Tartuffe was. In his eyes he could do no wrong; however, others were able to see past Tartuffe's fraudulent character. This story coincides with the famous quote, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” When Orgon’s family tries to set Tartuffe up, the plan backfires rapidly. Damis, Orgon’s son, is even kicked out of the house. This scene really sets the stage for the level of trust Orgon has for Tartuffe. One could even question how close their friendship really was. Despite hearing what his family had to say, Orgon took the side of a friend, not his family. This subsequently brings into question the way Tartuffe saw Orgon’s family. He lies and convinces a father that he is in love with his daughter, allthewhile trying to make advances at his wife; then, lies about it to his face and is deemed trustworthy. The family then devises another plan. this time with Orgon hiding under the table. Although Orgon agrees, he believes his own wife is lying to him. To his surprise, he hears Tartuffe making advances at his wife, Elmire, as she is declines. Orgon emerges and kicks Tartuffe out of his home. The plot twist ensues when Tartuffe tried to blackmail the family and take their home. He is eventually arrested and Mariane and Valère can go back to planning a marriage.…

    • 363 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Essay on Candide

    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Toward the beginning of the 18th century, a new ideology began to take hold of Europe. It was during this time that a radical and critical revolution took place to bring about the use of rational thought and enlighten the people about their own beliefs and values; thus igniting the period of Enlightenment. In this period many people followed the teachings of their forefathers, such as Socrates, who was considered a figure of skepticism and rational thought. Challenging all views and theorems was the main point of this new ideology. Voltaire, a very powerful and influential figure among the writers of the 18th century, was known for his rejection of religion and a devout deist. In one of his most famous works, Candide, he causes the reader’s to reflect on the beliefs and values of the Enlightenment.…

    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays