A CONFLICT OF REASON AND PASSION IN TARTUFFE

Tartuffe is a play that makes fun of gullibility and helplessness of those who

has seen the truth but are not listened to. Moliere focused on this human

weakness and wrote a play that is so witty and absurdly funny. Absurd in the

sense that obstinacy of some of the characters is so illogical that the viewer

has difficulty suppressing a minor bit of irritation at a fictional character.

Specifically, Orgon’s character bore the brunt of revoke among the rest of the

characters for having been duped by a hypocrite- the title character.

The plot centered more on the gullibility of Orgon rather than on the evils of

Tartuffe. There is a convolution of perspectives by the characters which is

correctly described by Madame Pernelle, Orgon’s mother as, “you’ve no

respect for anything; each one must have his say; it’s perfect

pandemonium”(ACT 1, Scene 1, lines 11-12). Except for Madame Pernelle,

most of the family members waged a war against Tartuffe, the hypocrite who

insinuated himself in the family and controlling it through its head, Orgon.

All the characters are not holding their peace. Not especially Dorrine, the

wittiest of all the characters whom Moliere had her say this gem when she

and Madame Pernelle were talking about nosy neighbors, “These pious

dames, in their austerity, must carp at everything, and pardon nothing. They

loudly blame their neighbors' way of living, not for religion's sake, but out of

envy, because they can't endure to see another enjoy the pleasures age has

weaned them from” (ACT 1, Scene 1, lines 143-148).

The tension of the play is to what means and end will Orgon be undeceived or

his eyes be opened at the vileness of Tartuffe who clothed himself with
affected piety and humility in the supposed service of God. A compromised

of both passion and reason is apparent in the play of the characters of Orgon

and the rest of the family. Orgon is being obstinate in his unreasonable

stance while his family is also fast in the retort and totally passionate in their

reasonable stance.

In determining if reason or passion or a compromise of both is apparent in the

play, we can determine that Orgon is governed by his passionate belief to

Tartuffe’s holiness which prompted that witty servant Dorine to say about him

“Upon him! He’s his universe, his hero; He's lost in constant admiration,

quotes him on all occasions, and takes his trifling acts for wonders and his

words for oracles” (Act 1Scene II, lines 28-31). Orgonis totally blinded by the

pretensions of Moliere that when told that his wife was not feeling well and

suffering a host of symptoms, he expressed no other care but to inquire on

the health of the in-house parasite, Tartuffe. This is not surprising since he

described Tartuffe in the following words: “whoever does his will, knows

perfect peace, and counts the whole world else, as so much dung. His

converse has transformed me quite; he 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” (Act

1, Scene VI, Lines 18-22).

His only co-believer is his mother who considers Tartuffe as one who could

guide them to Heaven. Her gullibility is forgivable though compared to that

of Orgon. As head of the family Orgon can dictate his daughter who to marry

and whom he is going to disinherit. Thus the struggle of his family members

to open his eyes is a struggle also for their survival. This had led to the
“almost” break-up of betrothed Mariane and Valere which is notable for this

dimwitted but funny dialogue which offered no resolution:

MARIANE

Oh, very well, sir! I shall take your counsel.

VALERE
You'll find no trouble taking it, I warrant.

MARIANE
No more than you did giving it, be sure.

VALERE
I gave it, truly, to oblige you, madam.

MARIANE
And I shall take it to oblige you, sir (ACT I, Scene IV, lines 27-31).

Ultimately Orgon wasconvinced of his misplaced trust when he personally

witness Tartuffe’s evil designs on his wife. Still he failed to convince his own

mother when he related everything to her who told him that, “appearances

are oft deceiving, and seeing shouldn't always be believing”(ACT V, Scene III,

lines 40- 41, Scene III).

It may well be that the ungoverned passion initially on the part of Orgon to

believe in Tartuffe’s exhortations and subsequently his almost total loss is an

argument in favor of reason over passion, though “misplaced passion”is the

operative phrase here. Still if misplaced passion has its equivalent in

misplaced reason, it would be a difficult choice between the two. Since there

is no such thing as the latter, reason is a better choice. Passion takes a lot of

risk. Reason sets up safeguards or is always wary on something.

Moliere has really exploited gullibility to new heights of ridicule. In the end it

was not Orgon who returned everything to normal. It has to be the King of
France who intervened. Of course other perspectives have to be considered.

Perhaps what really saved Orgon was his passionate loyalty to his country in

his prime years and that the intercession was just a past debt waiting to be

collected. In this perhaps we find a compromise between reason and

passion.

MARIANE
But, father, I protest it isn't true!
Why should you make me tell this dreadful lie?

ORGON
Because I mean to have it be the truth (ACT II, Scene II, lines 18-
20).

Reference

Moliere, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. The Project Gutenberg EBook Tartuffe. Project

Gutenberg, October 26, 2008 (Posting Date).