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  • Essay / Molière's Tartuffe and its role in world literature

    “Tartuffe or the Impostor” is one of Molière's most famous plays, created in 1664, but which remains popular to this day. The name Tartuffe has become a household name, designating a deceiver, a prude, a hypocrite. Molière is an outstanding satirist, a talented poet, but also a brilliant propagandist. In the finale of the comedy, the king punishes injustice and the expected happy ending arrives. The play combines both classic and innovative features, the genre of comedy and the skill of political propaganda. This comedy was a phenomenon of the historical era in which it was created. The premiere of this work, the historical context and the reaction of French society at the time show that it is not only a work of art but also a product of the propaganda of the absolutist monarchy . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayJean-Baptiste Poquelin is a 17th-century French playwright, creator of classic comedy, gaining popularity under the pseudonym Molière. Jean-Baptiste was born in 1622 in Paris. Taking into account the fact that the writer's father acquired the position of royal clerk and valet of the king, they had no financial problems. Jean-Baptiste received a good education but quickly realized that he was not at all interested in a family profession. He decides to become an actor. It was at this time that theatrical art in France was undergoing major changes. Theater evolved from street stages to magnificent halls, from entertainment for the crowds to exquisite entertainment for aristocrats. With several actors, Jean-Baptiste created his theater, which, however, did not last long, unable to resist competition from professional Parisian troupes. And he leaves the capital, determined to try to succeed in the provinces. During his long wanderings in France, Molière converted from a tragic actor to a comedian, because it is the eccentric shows that appeal most to the provincial public. In addition, the need to constantly update the repertoire led Molière to begin composing plays himself. Jean-Baptiste, who dreamed of playing the main characters in shows, involuntarily became a playwright. Thus, Molière traveled extensively across the country, knew different audiences and therefore studied human and social vices in depth. After all, it is impossible to become a playwright without such special knowledge. Molière's first original play was presented to the Parisian public in 1659. The success was overwhelming and even scandalous. The main characters in Molière's works express, as a rule, three main human vices: the hypocrite Tartuffe, who believes he can find an excuse for any sin; the atheist Don Juan, defying all that is holy and therefore perishing; and Alceste, who does not recognize her vices and weaknesses. It is important to note that all the comedies that gave the author literary immortality caused him a lot of trouble in life. After Tartuffe, Molière became the object of increased attention from the Jesuits. “Tartuffe” was initially banned because priests considered the religious hypocrisy of Tartuffe's attacks on the church a mockery. If it were not for the support of the king and historical circumstances (the formation of absolutism, the weakening of the role of the Church and the strengthening of the power of the monarch), who knows, maybe Molière would have been burned alive as a malicious heretic who undermined the foundations of the faith. To save Molière's theater from attacks by the church and the Jesuits, the king elevated it in rank, giving it the name "Acteurs duKing,” and the troop began to receive a salary from the treasury. Consequently, Molière aroused the anger of the Church, which was no longer as all-powerful as in the Middle Ages, but he was “approved” by the king. The comedy “Tartuffe” is based on a family storyconflict between Orgon and his mother against Tartuffe. There is always a romantic conflict. Molière does not refuse a comic story and turns it into a play. Tartuffe combines both conflicts, although he does not participate in the conflicts themselves, everything happens as it does around him. Tartuffe is an ideological image. This image is created until the appearance of Tartuffe (before the second act), finally destroying it, of course. Before he appears, he must seem like a thin, nice guy, when in reality he is a well-fed hypocrite. Since 1530, France has been waging a revolutionary war of religion. In the context of this religious confrontation, the monk Tartuffe should be considered good, but in reality he is not good at all. The character promotes asceticism, even if he does the opposite. Molière plays on this contrast, on the gap between words and actions. Tartuffe believes that one can only adapt to life through hypocrisy and betrayal. Molière is not opposed to religious ideals, but to “bad priests” and the fact that values ​​become an object that can be manipulated. The piece was sufficiently innovative for its time. This violated some classic norms of theater. The first violation of these norms was the choice of the upper classes as characters in the comedy. In the finale, even the king appears. The second violation of the dramatic classics of that time was the presence of two plots. The third violation was that the comic genre, considered "inferior", was written in poetry and not prose. Overall, Molière created a great comedy for a wide audience. The result was a new type of comedy. However, innovative features and comedy genre do not prevent "Tartuffe" from entering the classics. On the contrary, the appeal to "low" genres of literary creativity allowed Molière to present to the viewer a model of social comedy, in which the vices of the upper social class and the inexhaustible thirst for a lower class life are also marry well. watch. The characters in "Tartuffe" are not enthusiasts of the classic "high" genres, they are the most ordinary people who live their little private lives, but do not become less interesting for it. The central character, Tartuffe, appears before the reader. as a creature devoid of human dignity. He is a sort of receptacle for a host of vices: he has a passion for the wife of his benefactor, he wants to steal from the one who believes and helps him, and finally, he is not afraid of the law and " heavenly judgment”, sinful. before people and before God. “Quiet my strong desires, and fear not: sin, if there be any, shall be upon my head. " As we have already mentioned, a special place in Tartuffe is occupied by anticlerical ideas. Under the image of the main villain of the comedy lies the well-known image of the monk, cunning and eager for the pleasures of life, who hides behind faith only in order to commit his evil deeds. Remember the following words of Tartuffe: “Yes, brother, I am a wicked man, I fear: a miserable sinner, all depraved and twisted, the greatest villain that ever lived. » Initially, Tartuffe was a priest, but due to attacks from the church, Molière changed his image to a secular one, making Ham simply a "pious man". Thus, Tartuffe was created at a time when the king was considerably strengthening his authority. Louis XIV believed in the motto “one king, one law, one faith”. The king supported Molière and Molière, considering his gratitude and loyalty to the 2019.