Jean Baptiste Poquelin Molière
Tartuffe: Ou, L’Imposteur
French
Age of Reason
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin was born into a prosperous merchant family. He was the oldest of six children, although only three lived to adulthood. His father had aspirations to safeguard the family’s financial legacy and social standing by securing a position at court for himself and Jean-Baptiste. Accordingly, Jean-Baptiste studied law in preparation for taking his place in the family business. However, after obtaining his degree, he renounced his position in his family and took up the name Molière to pursue a career in theater. His first attempt at forming a Parisian theater troop in 1644 was unsuccessful. The financial situation of the troop was so dire that Molière was jailed for debt and had to be bailed out by his father. Molière’s next step was to hone his craft with touring companies. Over the next twelve years, he became recognized for his acting and writing abilities, winning the admiration of powerful figures such as the king, and irritating other powerful organizations, such as churches.
Tartuffe: Ou, L’Imposteur (1664)
Molière favored satire in his writing. Tartuffe: Ou, L’Imposteur, is an example of such a satire. The play examines a religious hypocrite, and his power over an easily swayed family head. The play garnered so much objection from religious figures that Molière was banned from performing it for many years. Works such as Tartuffe: Ou, L’Imposteur demonstrate Molière’s ability to give stock characters nuance and relatability in the midst of implausible stories.
Consider while reading:
- In the play, Molière focuses on appearance. How does it convey reality and hypocrisy?
- Each character represents a specific, often social, point-of-view. What are those perspectives, and why are they important?
- Several characters try to “speak truth to power.” Why do they fail? What point is Molière making?
- Molière uses deus ex machine for the resolution. Why?
Written by Laura Ng