Tartuffe (Main section)

Tartuffe

Tartuffe was written by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Moliere, way back in the year 1664. There were other editions of it later, but that's not really important. ;-) Tartuffe is a comedy/satire which makes fun of hypocrites. An interesting note about Tartuffe is that it was banned. You see, Tartuffe makes fun of hypocrites. The hypocrites got really mad about being mad fun of, and so they through a fit, condemning the play, the characters, their actions, and everything else in it, as well as Moliere. Another interesting note about the play, is that it has very little stage directions. I am not sure why this is so, but if I had to guess, I would say it is because Moliere was giving the actors a chance to ad-lib. That, or maybe the stage directions were lost in the mists of time. Of course, the only one that knows the real reason is Moliere, and he's dead.

The version we read in my World Literature class was translated by Richard Wilbur. It is in English. Hooray! It is in heroic couplets, which are a pair of rhyming iambic pentameter lines, which often have a sense of closure.

Throughout this section, you will find a good bit of useful information about Tartuffe, including a plot summary, character profiles, and even a couple of links to other sources.

The Cast: The Stars of the Play (and a few others that weren't stars, but were just kind of there)

Tartuffe's Plot: Just what is this play about, anyway?

Character Profiles: Let's get to know some of my favorite characters

Memorable Scenes: include the "lovers' spat", hitting maid at start, Tartuffe hitting on wife #1 and #2

Deux Ex Machina: How to save your story when you write yourself into a corner

Worthy Links
GMT Productions: Tartuffe A good Tartuffe web site

Study Questions for Molière's Tartuffe A good Tartuffe web site if you are a teacher