Moliere Tartuffe Monkey-Ing Around With Term Paper

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Orgon does not fully understand how false Tartuffe is, hoping that by buying Tartuffe's favor he can both buy his way to heaven and buy social cache as a religious man of wisdom and intellect. When Orgon says with approval that he sees that Tartuffe reproves everything, takes extreme care of Orgon's honor, because Tartuffe warns Orgon of the people who cast loving eyes upon the lady, the audience can only laugh at Orgon's pride that Tartuffe more jealous of his wife than her own husband, and the lengths to which Tartuffe carries his pious zeal, accusing himself of sin for the slightest thing imaginable. The audience laughs because when Orgon protests that a mere trifle is enough to shock Tartuffe, the outsider understands that Orgon's lack of a sense of true self-worth is being taken advantage of -- the more he is criticized, and the more he is seen in his own eyes as lacking in relation to Tartuffe, the more Orgon approves of the person who is doing the critiquing! In contrast, Orgon undervalues Dorine the maid, a genuinely good woman of no status, who wishes to protect her wise and moral mistress and is truly clever and full of spirit.

Even Mr. Rao of "Monkey" lacks the extreme self-abasement of Orgon, and thus is not quite as easily deceived by transparent and put-upon appearances. While one might excuse Rao's unwillingness to trust one's daughter's fate to a monkey, Orgon is willing to marry Tartuffe to his young, lovely, and kindly daughter Marianne against her will simply because Tartuffe instructs him to do so. The only reason that Orgon blames the suitors of Orgon's daughter Marianne, and is so jealous of Orgon's wife is that Tartuffe wants to marry the girl to insinuate himself in the family, and to make love to Orgon's wife.

Of course, both plays show that expertise is no guarantee of moral truth.

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The "Monkey" does save the girl, and Orgon's brother Cleante who is from the same social class, reproves Orgon when Orgon states that Tartuffe "weans / My heart from every friendship, teaches me / to have no love for anything on earth; / and I could see my brother, children, mother / and wife, all die, and never care -- a snap." (I.IV.20)

But unlike Rao, who wishes to protect his daughter, Tartuffe is so noxious he encourages Orgon to believe more his own counsel than the obligation Orgon owes to his daughter, his wife, and his truly loyal servants. This is one reason that Orgon's brother Cleante says that he is sure that Tartuffe is not a good man. At the end of the play, Orgon learns to put family and his loyal and clever students over Tartuffe's false institutionalized religious zeal and Orgon's own desire social approbation. Although it is easier to learn the truth about Tartuffe than the "Monkey" from the audience's perspective, it is as difficult for Orgon to cast off his image of himself as needing spiritual guidance and to appreciate truly loyal women like his wife and her maid. Casting off social stereotypes for Orgon is as difficult as it is for the people of "Monkey" to penetrate the spells cast upon all too human perceptions. The material world in Moliere, however, is not devalued as lacking in importance because it can support illusions -- rather the author approves of the material world of true moral behavior in the context of honest adherence to….....

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