Tartuffe Resource Guide

TARTUFFE RESOURCE GUIDE School Matinee April 18 at 10 am

Klein Theatre, University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA

ACT I The play opens with Madame Pernelle and her servant, Flipote, storming out of Orgon’s home. As Orgon’s mother, she is unhappy with what she sees as the free and immoral way the household is run, which she blames in part on Orgon’s second, and much younger, wife, Elmire. She is the first to mention Tartuffe, and suggests that he could help instill some morals on the home and whip them back into shape.

Everyone in the household, except Orgon, who is not present, expresses a different opinion and argues that Tartuffe is not religious, but a hypocrite, a man who puts on a show of being religious when actually he is a cheat. Madame Pernelle leaves in a fury, and Orgon returns home from having traveled. Both the free-speaking servant Dorine and Orgon’s brother-in-law, Cléante, tell Orgon that while he was gone, Tartuffe acted in a despicable manner, eating up all of their food and putting on a show of piety. Orgon reveals that he cares more about Tartuffe’s wellbeing than his own wife’s, who has been sick. Cléante warns Orgon that men that are too public about their religious fervor cannot be trusted, but Orgon again does not listen, and instead reveals his plans to give his daughter to Tartuffe in marriage, instead of to Valère, to whom he had originally promised his daughter.

ACT II

Orgon shares with his daughter, Mariane, his plans to break off her engagement to Valère, and instead give her to Tartuffe. Mariane, who believes obedience to her father is very important but also loathes the idea of marrying Tartuffe, remains mostly silent, unsure of how to respond. In her place, her maid, Dorine, boldly speaks up against Orgon’s plan, for which Orgon threatens and attempts to beat her. Dorine argues that a young woman forced to marry an older man cannot be blamed for being unfaithful later in her marriage, and this is the fate she suggests for Mariane. Orgon storms out, enraged with Dorine. Dorine chides

Mariane for not speaking her mind and discovers that Mariane still loves Valère and does not want to marry Tartuffe. At this moment, Valère enters, having heard of Mariane’s possible engagement to Tartuffe. When he questions Mariane about it, she says she does not know what she wants, which upsets Valère, and a heartfelt but comical lover’s quarrel ensues. Once again, Dorine steps in to help solve the problem, and they all agree that Mariane will pretend to accept the engagement to Tartuffe while secretly they all think of a way to solve the problem.

ACT III

A brief scene opens this act with Damis, Orgon’s son, clearly infuriated by Tartuffe’s continued presence at the house. Dorine warns him not to be too rash in his actions and tells him that Orgon’s wife, Elmire, who has a special sway over Tartuffe, will attempt to get Tartuffe to break off the engagement to Mariane. Damis wants to hide and observe the conversation between Elmire and Tartuffe, but Dorine warns him against doing that. Dorine then delivers a message to Tartuffe that Elmire would like to see him. In the scene between Elmire and Tartuffe, Elmire is polite and flatters Tartuffe, hoping to have him refuse to marry Mariane.

Tartuffe takes advantage of the time alone with Elmire and reveals his lustful feelings for her. Elmire refuses Tartuffe’s advances and tells him she won’t tell Orgon what has just happened if Tartuffe will no longer marry Mariane.

At this moment, Damis, who had indeed been listening from a hidden position, jumps out and accuses Tartuffe of attempted adultery. Orgon comes in and Damis repeats to him everything he heard pass between Tartuffe and Elmire. Orgon has difficulty believing it. Instead of denying everything, Tartuffe 1

tells Orgon that he is indeed a terrible person and overplays how much of a sinner he is. The sight of Tartuffe looking like a victim to false accusers enrages Orgon, and, not believing his son, he kicks Damis out of his house and disinherits him. Tartuffe continues the act, telling Orgon not to choose a stranger (Tartuffe) over his son, but, seeing that as an act of selflessness, Orgon instead transfers all of his assets, money and house included, over to Tartuffe.

ACT IV Cléante, having heard all that happened, seeks out Tartuffe and suggests that the actual pious, religious thing to do would be to return all that Orgon has given him and help Damis be reinstated into the household. Tartuffe has little time for this and hurries off. The family has gathered and Orgon reiterates his plan for Mariane to marry Tartuffe and tells everyone that Tartuffe is his new heir. Mariane says again that she does not want to marry him, and Elmire asks why Orgon has not believed anything they have told him about Tartuffe.

Orgon responds by suggesting that if indeed Tartuffe had attempted to woo Elmire, she should be more upset about it. Elmire argues that because she would never cheat on her husband, she sees Tartuffe’s advances as annoying but harmless to her own constancy.

She then concocts a plan to have Orgon witness firsthand Tartuffe’s behavior towards her and asks Orgon to hide underneath a table while she entertains Tartuffe’s advances.

Agreeing to the plan, Orgon positions himself underneath the table and Tartuffe is called in. At first Tartuffe is reluctant to believe Elmire, who is now claiming that she does love Tartuffe, and only a fear of being caught kept her from expressing her true feelings before. As the scene progresses, Tartuffe becomes more bold, and Elmire, no longer able to wait for Orgon to intervene before things go too far, asks Tartuffe to check the hallway to make sure no one is coming. At this point, Orgon comes out from under the table, shocked but accepting the things he heard.

He accuses Tartuffe of lying and kicks him out. Tartuffe leaves but warns Orgon that he will regret his actions.

ACT V

Having just kicked Tartuffe out of his house, Orgon remembers with panic that he gave Tartuffe a strongbox which contained evidence accusing his friend of being a traitor to the crown. Cléante once again lectures Orgon on looking for pure and simple goodness in people and not being duped by outward shows of holiness.

Damis returns to the house, enraged as ever against Tartuffe, and Madame Pernelle, having heard what happened, also comes back. Not having witnessed the events, Madame Pernelle still defends Tartuffe and suggests that Orgon must have been mistaken in what he saw and heard.

At that moment, Monsieur Loyal, a bailiff acting on behalf of Tartuffe, comes and conveys to Orgon that his home and all of his property belongs to Tartuffe, and the family has until the next morning to get their things in order and vacate the home.

Madame Pernelle finally realizes what Tartuffe is and what he has done. Valère enters at this moment and tells Orgon that Tartuffe at that moment is visiting with the king and telling him everything about the situation, including about the strongbox of secret papers. Afraid of being arrested, Orgon decides to flee, and Valère offers him money to help him do that. Just as he is about to leave, Tartuffe barges in, accompanied by an officer. The conversation that follows recounts some

of what has passed, and upon hearing it, the officer takes into custody, not Orgon, but Tartuffe instead. The officer reveals that the king, being all-knowing and benevolent, saw through Tartuffe’s character and ordered his arrest. The king also pardoned Orgon for the friend he was protecting because Orgon had fought on the king’s side in an earlier war. With all order restored, Orgon proclaims that they will celebrate with a wedding between Mariane and Valère.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT Molière’s life, like his plays, deals in extremes. He was born as Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, the son of a respected middleclass man who was the upholsterer to King Louis XIII, but Poquelin soon gave that up to become an actor, and later playwright and director. Early in his career he adopted the name Molière; the reason is unknown.

Acting was a not a respected profession, to the extent that after their deaths, actors could not be buried in church grounds along with other people. Molière’s case was special, though, and none other than King Louis XIV himself intervened and allowed Molière to have a proper burial.

As an example of the extremes in Molière’s life, he moved from being in a debtor’s King Louis XIII

Did you know

means “god from The term “deus ex machina” a structure in the machine” and references uld fly gods in Ancient Greek theatre that wo fers to an ending re f el its rm te e Th e. ov ab m fro acter seems to in which an authoritative char d problems. magically fix very complicate ffe?

How does this relate to Tartu 2

prison to presenting plays for the king of France, and then being named the king’s official theatre company! Molière was not successful in his first attempts at acting.

The company with which he was travelling throughout the provinces of France could not make enough money to survive. In 1658, however, he had the opportunity to perform for Louis XIV, and although his acting in the tragedy did not impress, the King enjoyed the comedy Molière presented, and allowed his company to stay in Paris. During the remainder of his career, Molière wrote high-comedies, which relied on wit and often dealt with heavy themes in lighter ways, and he also wrote many farces and musical pieces for court entertainment.

While he was a favorite of King Louis XIV’s, he included controversial topics in his plays and made many enemies because of it.

The controversy which arose over Tartuffe is a vivid example of what was at stake with his comedies.

Madame Pernelle mother of Orgon

Consider

Why does she dislike Orgon’s household so much? What does she think Tartuffe can provide?

Damis

son of Orgon

Consider

Damis is perhaps one of the mos t honest characters in the play.

Why isn’t he more successful in his attempts?

Orgon

husband of Elmire; master of the house; fought on the King’s side in a religious conflict

Consider

Elmire

wife of Orgon; much younger and Orgon’s second wife; step-mother to Damis & Mariane

Considweasry Elmire

Why is Orgon blind to Tartuffe’s trickery? What larger idea might he represent?

Think about the versus handles difficulty es that do Mariane’s way. What ar r? tell us about her ch acte

Mariane

Valère

daughter of Orgon, in love with Valère

in love with Mariane

Consider

Why doesn’t Mariane immediately defy her father’s wish that she marry Tartuffe?

What does it tell you about family life in the play?

Valère looks a little silly in his argument with Mariane, but when he returns, he does something very kind for Orgon.

How does this make you feel about him?

Tartuffe

Dorine

Consider

CHARACTERS

Clèante

brother of Elmire; brother-in-law of Orgon

Consider

whom Molière calls “falsely dévote”; below ranking to Orgon and family

Consider

servant to Mariane; likely has been with her since she was a child

Consider

Clèante is not a very developed character; what do you think his purpose in this play is?

We hear a lot about Tartuffe before we see him. Why do you think Molière chooses to do this?

Although a servant, Dorine has a lot of sway in this family.

Why do you think she can get away with so much?

Monsieur Loyal

The Exempt

Flipote

bailiff; an officer who could seize property

Consider

Monsieur Loyal has a strategy in his speech to Orgon. What is it and why does he employ it?

an officer; in this case serving the King

Consider

What do we find out about the King from The Exempt?

3

servant of Madame Pernelle

Consider

Flipote appears at the beginning and never comes back. What is her purpose in the play?

What does her relationship with Madame Pernelle tell you?

17th Century French Theatre Comedy

Before Molière, comedy in France was thought to be a lesser art form than tragedy. It focused on lower class characters and the issues at stake were not as important as in tragedy. Molière helped to change that by writing “high comedy”, that is, comedy that dealt with important issues and emotions.

Palais-Royal

inal Richelieu and in 1660 This theatre was built by Card e. Many French theatres were was given to Molière’s troup courts, which were large constructed inside old tennis theatre was built rectangular rooms, but this specifically to be a theatre.

Neoclassicism

a period in French theatre in which the playwrights tried to follow rules set out by Aristotle in the 5th century BCE; these rules included the unities of time, place, and action, which meant that a play should only have one setting, one plot (no subplots), and take place in only one day.

Hôtel de Bourgogn

e The theatre space of Molière’ s rival theatre company, the King’s Players. Because they most often performed trage dies, the theatre and its performers were seen as a more legitimate type of theatre.

Commedia dell’Arte

UMW Theatre’s 2005 production of A Company of Wayward pe.

Saints by George Herman, a play about a commedia trou

4

an Italian form of comedy that relied on stock characters and improvisation; the actors didn’t have scripts, but instead worked from scenarios, which were the basic outline of a story; stock characters meant that actors played the same types of characters, which were easily recognized by the audience.

COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE Commedia dell’ arte, an improvisational theatrical style which first became popular in sixteenth century Italy, relies on stock characters to create comedic stories. The actors did not have scripts but instead scenarios, which gave a basic outline of the story. Because each character was a certain type with consistent characteristics, it

would be easy for the actors to improvise what their characters would do in the given situations. The character types can easily be identified by the masks the actors wore and by the way they moved. The performances also relied on lazzi, which were set pieces of comedic action that the actors would have rehearsed before and could be played at any moment.

Commedia dell’arte influenced playwrights

such as Shakespeare and Molière, and its influence is clear in Tartuffe. Modern day comedies are also influenced by the characters of commedia dell’arte. Can you think of any?

Pantalone

Arlechinno

acrobatic, wily servant; trickster who outwits his masters; good-natured; often responsible for helping the young lovers marry

miserly old man very interested in younger women; often the butt of jokes.

Dottore

knows everything, understands nothing; he brags about his knowledge, but usually misquotes or misremembers information

Brighella

also a servant, but crueler and more vindictive than Arlechinno; schemer who cares only about himself

Capitano

braggart soldier; acts like he’s brave, but in fact is a coward. brags about deeds he has not completed 5

Innamorato– Young Lovers

these characters do not wear masks; usually their love is forbidden and the must find their way to each other

BANNED PLAY CONTROVERSY Though favored by the king and his audiences, Molière’s life both in and outside of the theatre was at times very difficult. His hardships are often blamed on jealous rival theatre companies and on a seemingly unfortunate marriage to a young and needy wife, but with his play Tartuffe, Molière awoke a powerful enemy, the clergy and the Company of the Holy Sacrament, or dévots.

Religion was a dangerous and contested topic throughout Europe in the centuries leading up to and including that in which Molière wrote. The popular idea today of religious freedom was not part of the culture of most of Europe, and certainly of France in the 1600s.

Throughout the 1500s and 1600s the official religion of France varied between Catholicism and Protestantism, depending on the religion of the king, and those who practiced the opposing religion were at the

very least not tolerated, and at the worst massacred. Louis XIV was Catholic, but when he came to the throne in 1643 he was only 5 years old. Protestant nobility who had held favor throughout much of the preceding century, rose up in rebellion in hopes of gaining power again. They were unsuccessful, and by the time Molière was working in the king’s court, France had achieved a relative religious stability. The wounds were still fresh though, and much of this contributed to the controversy surrounding Tartuffe.

Enraged at the public display of a man who professed to be holy but was in fact a swindler, the clergy of King Louis XIV’s court asked for the play to be banned.

Although the king liked the play, he agreed to ban it in order to appease the religious men around him. That was in 1664, and it was not until 1669 that the play, after at least two major rewrites, was allowed to be performed both for the court and for public. To the right are excerpts from those who protested the play as well as from Molière’s responses.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. The characters of Tartuffe are developed around stock characters from an older theatre tradition. Are these stock characters recognizable today? Can you think of characters from modern day plays, films, or books that are similar to the characters of Tartuffe? Why do these types of characters still work today?

2. Molière does not show Tartuffe to the audience until Act Three. Before that, the audience only knows what other characters say about him. Why might Molière have done this? Were you convinced Tartuffe was a hypocrite before he even came on stage? Or did you have to see his actions to be convinced?

3. At the end of the play, the king, through an officer, easily tidies up all of the confusion. The king somehow saw through Tartuffe and sets everything right.

Considering the history of the play, why was this a smart way for Molière to end the play?

4. In theatre and dramatic literature, the methods that characters use to get what they want are called ‘tactics.’ Think about some of the characters in this play.

What is it that they want (objective)? What tactics do they use to achieve it? Are some characters more skilled at using tactics than others?

5. If you were to modernize this play and make Tartuffe into a modern day swindler, what would he be like? Would he still be a religious hypocrite or is there another type of person that we can relate to more easily as a con man?

6

1664 – Molière: “The duty of comedy being to correct men while entertaining them, I believe that, given the trade in which I find myself, I could do nothing better than attack the vices of my century by painting them as ridiculous; and, as hypocrisy is one of the most common and most troublesome, and the most dangerous, I thought I would be doing some small service to all the decent people of your kingdom if I wrote a play that discredited all hypocrites and showed all the calculated dissimulations of these excessively pious people ... who try to entrap with feigned zeal and insincere love of their neighbors.”

1667 – President, Monsieur de Lamoignon (as quoted by Molière’s friend Boileau): “Sir, I hold your merit in very great esteem; I know that you are not only an excellent actor, but also a very clever man who does honor to your profession and to France; however, with all the good will in the world, I cannot permit you to play your comedy. I am persuaded that it is very wellwritten and very instructive, but actors are not meant to instruct on matter of Christian morality and religion; it is not the business of the theatre to preach the gospel.”

1664 – Pierre Roullé: “A man, or rather a Demon clothed in flesh and dressed like a man and the most notable and impious freethinker who has ever lived, has had the wickedness and abomination to bring from his diabolical mind a play ready to be shown on the public stage to the derision of the Church, scorning what is most holy in the Church, ordained by the Savior for the sanctification of souls, with the intention of rendering it ridiculous.

1669 – Molière: “Here is a play, much talked about and long persecuted; and the people it mocks have shown that they are more powerful in France than all the others ... the hypocrites have not wanted to hear jokes about themselves.”

FIND OUT MORE http://people.brynmawr.edu/cwillifo/pscp/cardinal.htm - this website has interactive models of French theatres, including the Palais Royal http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/backstage/commedia-dellarte - this website has videos on commedia dell’arte developed by artists at the National Theatre in London http://www.theatredatabase.com/17th_century/moliere_001.html - a biography of Molière and a list of his plays, with links to further information

SOURCES Bloom, Harold, ed. Molière. Modern Critical Views. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2002.

Gaines, James F., ed. The Molière Encyclopedia. Wesport: Greenwood Press, 2002.

Molière. Tartuffe. Trans. Constance Congdon. Eds. Constance Congdon and Virginia Scott.

New York: Norton & Company, 2009.

Reisman, Rosemary M. Canfield. “Molière.” Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia.

(2014): Research Starters. Web. 20 Oct 2015

Pursue your passion. small classes individual attention extraordinary opportunities professional training with master teachers in acting, directing, musical theatre, arts administration, stage management, design, and technology

cas.umw.edu/theatre UMW is known for the intensely personal educational experience it provides as well as its accessible faculty who are passionate about teaching – and helping their students succeed.

The Drunken City, Spring 2015

7

Tartuffe

by Molière

Monday, April 18 at 10 am Klein Theatre, University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA To Reserve Tickets for You and Your Students Tickets for this performance are $10.

For every 20 tickets you purchase, you will receive one complimentary ticket for faculty and chaperones.

Please make your reservation by March 1 by contacting: Taryn Snyder, Director of Group Sales, at 540-654-1243 or tsnyder3@umw.edu.

Final payment is due April 4. We accept cash, check, VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

The performance will end at 12 noon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Natalie Tenner is an adjunct professor of theatre at the University of Mary Washington. She holds a doctorate in theatre and performance studies from the University of Maryland and a master’s in English Literature from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. She has a variety of research interests including using cognitive theory to describe audience reception.

At UMW, Prof. Tenner teaches early and modern dramatic literature, introductory theatre courses, and a first year seminar that examines horror on the stage.

A NOTE ABOUT GOING

TO THE THEATRE

Attending a live theatre performance is different from watching television or movies. Live actors work to create a one-time-only performance for one specific audience to enjoy. The performers appreciate the audience’s attention and respect—and, of course, laughter and applause at the appropriate times. Good audience members work hard to do their part in the shared experience of making theatre—the better the audience, the

better the performance. Should someone be disruptive, (talking, eating, texting, throwing things, etc.) please notify the house manager (in the lobby or box office of duPont Hall) to escort him or her from the theatre. We encourage audience members to take selfies and post to social media before the show, during intermission, and after the show. We ask that you remind your students to turn off all cell phones and electronic devices before the performance begins.

THE THEATRE AS

LIVING LITERATURE Too often the study of plays and musicals is confined to emphasis on the written word. Students are asked to read, analyze, discuss and interpret a play frequently without experiencing the essence of the art form—seen in a live theatrical production. The study of literature should not misrepresent the art of theatre. Plays and musicals are written 8

with the ultimate goal of combining the work of many collaborators into a unified art form.

The audience is a vital part of that collaboration. The University of Mary Washington’s productions provide an excellent opportunity for your residents to appreciate plays not only as literature but also as living works of art. The productions can help to fulfill several important goals in the residential curriculum. We encourage you to use this opportunity to engage your residents in the important ideas and questions raised by Tartuffe.