Tartuffe
Richelle E. Goodrich wrote, “From good examples we learn how to be. From bad examples we learn how not to be. An observant and willing student can learn from any circumstance” in her book Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year. People can learn a great deal from observing the actions of those around them and the reactions that others have to those acts. From these types of observations, people are able to make judgments about those observed, regardless if those judgments are correct. In Moliere’s Tartuffe, the title character is discussed for two full acts before even being introduced. From these discussions, readers are able to make inferences about Tartuffe before he even enters on stage. Through…show more content… Such characters were often the more reasonable characters within the play, shown through their ability to see through Tartuffe’s act. Orgon’s wife, Elmire, instantly tells of her disapproval of Orgon’s proposal of Mariane marrying Tartuffe when she goes to speak to Tartuffe about calling it off. Elmire said, “If, in return, you’ll give your solemn word to advocate as forcefully as you can the marriage of Valere and Mariane” as she pleads to get Mariane out of the proposal with Tartuffe for she believes that Valere and Mariane are better together (133). Not only does Elmire show that she cares deeply about her stepdaughter, she also demonstrates her ability to think levelheaded in such distressing situations. Another character that shows great disapproval for Tartuffe is Dorine. Dorine is outspoken, quick, and logical. She uses these traits to point out Tartuffe’s flaws, trying to fix the mistakes that Orgon has created. Completely against the idea of Mariane and Tartuffe being married, Dorine tells Orgon, “If I didn’t protest/ this sinful marriage, my conscience couldn’t rest” (121). She shows that she is a concerned friend to Mariane, only wanting her to be happy. Dorine’s logical thinking and words are shown through Tartuffe’s acts, allowing the readers to receive a preconceived notion about Tartuffe before he even enters the stage. The…show more content… As the play starts, the audience is able to see how foolish the characters that support Tartuffe are and how reasonable the ones that disapprove of Tartuffe’s behavior are. Once Tartuffe finally does enter the play, he proves exactly how right majority of the characters are about him. Tartuffe shows that he is rude, not pious, and disrespectful of Orgon and his household. Although Elmire simply tries to get Tartuffe to convince Orgon not to follow through with the wedding, Tartuffe instantly tries to seduce her. As she is talking to Tartuffe about the marriage between him and her daughter, he places his hand on her knee, causing her to ask him, “What can your hand be doing there?” (131). With no regard to the trust that Orgon has placed within him or the respect that Elmire deserves, Tartuffe just makes a silly excuse on why he is acting in such a way towards her. Tartuffe knows how much he has Orgon fooled and the audience is able to see that Tartuffe has no guilt about this. Waiting for more than two full acts to introduce Tartuffe was not only effective in allowing the audience to see how terrible Tartuffe really was but also allowed the audience to see just how right their preconceived judgments about Tartuffe were. By being introduced in the third act, Tartuffe is shown just as the phony he really is with the audience not mistaking at all that Tartuffe