tartuffe, by moliere, translated by richard wilbur...
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Tartuffe,byMoliere,translatedbyRichardWilbur
PresentedbyPerisphereTheaterResourcesforteachersandstudents
January/February2018
CreatedbyHeatherBenjaminandBridgetGraceSheaff,2017
ContextforTartuffe
PLOT
ThestorytakesplaceinthehomeofthewealthyOrgon,whereTartuffe—afraudandapiousimposter—hasinsinuatedhimself.Hesucceedsinwinningtherespectanddevotionoftheheadofthehouseandthentriestomarryhisdaughter,seducehiswifeandscroungethedeedtotheproperty.Tartuffenearlygetsawaywithit,butanemissaryfromKingLouisXIVarrivesintimetorecovertheproperty,freeMonsieurOrgonandhaulTartuffeofftojail.Hisduplicity,lies,andoveralltrickeryarefinallyexposedandpunished.—DramatistsPlayServicesummary
PLAYSTYLE
Molière’sdramaticrootslieinOldFrenchfarce,theunscriptedpopularplaysthatfeaturedbroadcharacterswithrobustattitudesandvulgarways,emphasizedastrongphysicalstyleofperformance,andwereanentertainmentstapleinthetownmarketplaceandonthefairground.Hewas,likewise,greatlyinfluencedbyhisinteractionwiththeItaliancommediadell'arteperformerswhowereknownforboththeirimprovisationalskillsandhighlyphysicalplaying,andfortheeverydaytruththeybroughttotheirlivelytheatricalpresentations.The“newbrand”ofFrenchcomedy,whichMolièredevelopedandperfected,featuredthevivacityandphysicalityoffarce,temperedbyacommedia-inspirednaturalnessofcharacter.WhatisattheheartofMolière'sdramaticstyle,andwhatmadehisplaysuniquefortheirtime,istheirsatiricalbent,brilliantintellect,sharpwit,emphasisontheironic,andastrongsenseofwhatthedramatisthimselfviewedas
Asamplingofthestockcommediadell'artefiguresfromtheItaliantradition.Molierewouldhavedrawnheavilyfromtheircomedicinfluenceinwritinghischaracters.
FrontispieceoftheoneoftheearliestprintingsofTartuffe,depictingthemostfamousscene,froma1739collectededitionofhisworksinFrenchandEnglish,printedbyJohnWatts.
morality.HeheldamirroruptobothhumannatureandFrenchsocietytoreflectthecomicglory(orhorror)oftheirfrailty,stupidity,iniquityandhypocrisy.—McCarterTheatre
HISTORICALBACKGROUND:LOUISEXIV
• LouisXIVreignedfrom1643until1715.• Hereformedthestate,securedtheobedienceofthe
Frenchelites,expandedhisarmytothelargestinEurope,andencouragedthegrowthofcoloniesabroad.HeestablishedaglitteringcourtatVersaillesandpromotedthearts.
• Oftenknownas“TheSunKing,”hebecameamodelotherEuropeanrulersstrovetoemulate.
• LouisXIV’smainphilosophywastheperfectionofFrance,thecrown,andthemonarchy.
• LouisXIV’saggressiveforeignpolicyledtoanewroundofwars,specificallyTheNineYear’sWarbeginningin1688betweentheFranceandacollationmadeupofalmosteverymajorpowerinEurope,includingtheHolyRomanEmpire.—OxfordUniversityPress
RECEPTIONANDSUPPRESSIONOFTHEPLAY
MolièrewroteTartuffein1664.Almostimmediatelyfollowingitsfirstperformance,itwascensoredbyKingLouisXIV,probablyduetotheinfluenceofthearchbishopofParis,Paul
PhilippeHardouindeBeaumontdePéréfixe,whowastheking'sconfessorandhadbeenhistutor.AlthoughTartuffewasreceivedwellbythepublicandevenbyLouisXIV,itimmediatelysparkedconflictamongmanydifferentgroupswhowereoffendedbytheplay.ThefactionsopposedtoMolière'sworkincludedpartofthehierarchyoftheFrenchRomanCatholicChurch,membersofupper-classFrenchsociety,andtheillegalundergroundorganizationcalledtheCompagnieduSaint-Sacrement. Tartuffe'spopularitywascutshortwhentheArchbishopofParisissuedanedictthreateningexcommunicationforanyonewhowatched,performedin,orreadtheplay.Molièreattemptedtomollifychurchofficialsbyrewritinghisplaytoseemmoresecularandlesscriticalofreligion,butthechurchcouldnotbebudged.
LouisXIVofFrance,kingduringthetenureofMoliere,wasoftencalledtheSunKingandbelievedintheperfectionofFranceanditsking.
TheedictdeclaringtheprohibitionagainstTheImposterbytheArchbishopofParis(August11,1667)
EvenduringMolière'sconflictwiththechurch,LouisXIVcontinuedtosupporttheplaywright;itispossiblethatwithouttheking'ssupport,Molièremighthavebeenexcommunicated.Althoughpublicperformancesoftheplaywerebanned,privateperformancesfortheFrencharistocracywerepermitted.In1669,afterMolière'sdetractorslostmuchoftheirinfluence,hewasfinallyallowedtoperformthefinalversionofhisplay.However,duetoallthecontroversysurroundingTartuffe,Molièremostlyrefrainedfromwritingsuchincisiveplaysasthisoneagain.
—Wikipediaentry
QuestionsforDiscussion
AfterseeingTartuffe,answerthefollowingquestionsinsmallgroupsorasaclass:
• Doyouagreethat“toknowthecomicwemustknowtherational”?Whatdoesthismean?Howdoescomedypointoutwhatisrationalandmakeacontrastwithit?
• Whatdoyouthinkaboutsatiricalworksofartthatimplycriticismofacurrentauthority,socialorpoliticalphenomenon,orpractice?Shouldtheybepresentedtothepublicorcensored?Aretheydangerous,oraretheyvaluable?
• Whataboutsatirebasedonhumannatureandfoibles?Howdoesthisplaypresent
bothaspects?
• Howdothecharactersinthisplayrepresentdifferentpointsofviewandlevelsofrationality?Whichcharactersbehaverationally?Whichbehaveirrationally?Dotheychangethroughoutthecourseoftheplay?
• Howdoyoudefine“hypocrisy”?Isiteasyordifficulttoseewhenyouorother
peoplearebehavingthisway?Whatmakesitobvious?
• Inyourlife,havetherebeenworksofarthaveyouseen,listenedto,orparticipatedinthatgeneratedcontroversy,buttowhichyourespondedstrongly?Whyweretheycontroversial?Whataspectsofsocietyorhumannaturedidtheypointout?
• Didthisplayremindyouofanything?Whatexamplesfromyourlife(media,news,entertainment,etc.)didyouseeintheplay?
• Wasthereanythingconfusingorthatyouwouldliketolearnmoreabout?
• Didyoufindyourselfagreeingordisagreeingwithanycharacterinparticular?Didyoufindyourselfidentifyingwithanycharacterormomentespecially?Whydoyouthinkthatwas?
• Whatwouldhavedonedifferentlyfromanyofthecharactersintheplay?WhatwouldyouhavedonedifferentlythanOrgon?WhatwouldyouhavedoneifyouwereOrgon’schildren(MarianeandDamis)?WhatwouldyouhavedoneifyouwereDorine?
ClassroomActivities
1. Thinkaboutwhathappensaftertheplaywhenthefamily’slegalissuesareclearedupandtheygettheirhouseback.Whatdoyouthinkbecomesofthefamily?ConsiderhowOrgondidnotbelievehisownfamily,disownedhisownson,andgaveeverythingbelongingtothefamilytoTartuffe.WriteascenebetweenOrgonandDamis,OrgonandElmire,orMarianeandValère,describingwhathappenedtotheirrelationshipbecauseofTartuffe’sdisturbanceamongthefamily.
2. WriteajournalentryfromTartuffe’spointofview,describingwhathappenedtohimaftertheplay.Doyouthinkhetriesthisonanotherfamily?Doyouthinkhe’slearnedhislesson?Whatdoyouthinkhedoesnext?
3. ActII,Scene3,astranslatedbyWilbur,includestheword“tartuffified.”
Dorine(toMariane):Youdeservetobetartuffified!
Consideringthisword,whichisnotinthedictionaryandhasbeencreatedfromTartuffe’sname,createadefinitionfortheterm.
4. Dosomeresearchonthecharactersandstylesincommediadell’arte.IdentifywhichstockcommediacharactereachcharacterfromTartufferemindsyouof.Namethreelazzi(comicbits)thatyourememberfromtheproduction.Thinkaboutthescopeofcomedyingeneral.Whatpartsofthisplaywerefunny?Why?Didithaveahappyending?Why?
5. Writeashortpoemorletterfromoneofthecharacter’spointsofview.(AletterfromMarianetoValere,apoemfromTartuffetoElmire,alongletterfromMadamePernelletothehousehold.)Userhymingcoupletstopackanextrapunch.
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