Moliere's Play, Tartuffe

1153 Words3 Pages

In Tartuffe, Moliere creates a play that is interesting in so many ways. His comedy reflects a lot on the role of men and women within a family. During this time, it was common for the man to be the head of the household and women to be submissive to the men. Men held the power in the family and made all the decisions. In this play, a man's point of view is the only view that matters. All else do not serve an importance. His lack of trust and awareness for other people's feelings and needs has caused great conflict in his family. The actions taken by Orgon and his family members express how this play views marriage and relations between men and women. It is a extremely different view (in some cases) of marriage today in average American family.
There are many differences between men and women.Women had the same role that several women have today. They take care of the household and tend to the families needs. This is the exact role Elmire plays in Tartuffe. She stands up for her children just as all mothers would do today. Men during this time were very superior and because of this, the relationships between all women were different. We can see this in Orgon's relationship with his wife, daughter, son, and Tartuffe (other characters as well). Marriage was without a doubt a big deal, it was extremely important. Marriage was to be decided by the father, and the daughter was to obey her father's commands. Arranged marriage was not unusual back in this time period. In 2.1, Orgon and Mariane are having a conversation about Mariane marrying Tartuffe. When Orgon asks Mariane to prove her love for him by doing anything he asks, Mariane responds by saying, “Then my obedience will be my proof.” (2.1.9). Orgon then responds several lines ...

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...quals especially in the family. All family members are intended to be treated equally and to have their needs met. In 1664, the man held all authority, made the decisions, and had final say. Orgon and his family (Elmire, Mariane, and Damis) represent the view of marriage and relations between men and women during this time period.

Works Cited

Selle, Adrian. "Equal Partnership in Marriage." Equal Partnership in Marriage. Ed. Stephen F. Duncan. Forever Families, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Epstein, Robert, Mayuri Pandit, and Mansi Thakar. "How Love Emerges In Arranged Marriages: Two Cross-Cultural Studies." Journal Of Comparative Family Studies 44.3 (2013): 341-360. Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Mar. 2014

Molière, Jean-Baptiste. “Tartuffe.” The Northern Anthology of World Literature. Gem. ed. Martin Puchner. 3rd ed. Vol F. New York; Northern, 2012. 144-97. Print.

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