This play is a satire. Satire is the exaggeration of real faults until they become ridiculous. It is based on the hope that we can laugh people back into what is accepted as normal behavior. What “real faults” do you see exhibited in this play? What sorts of sociopolitical ideas and institutions are satirized? What is Tartuffe’s profession and why is it the subject of satire?
2) Note that this play was banned from production for five years, as you can see from the petitions Moliere writes at the beginning of the play to the French King, Louis XVI. Based on Moliere’s comments, why do you think the play was banned? How does Moliere flatter and cajole the King in the hopes of winning back his good favor?
3) Who represents the voice of reason in this play?
4) Describe the various roles of the women. Which are stereotypical women of the period and which are not? Explain.
5) How does Tartuffe get Orgon’s estate?
6) Why is Orgon in trouble with the King at the end of the play?
7) What is the patronage system of which Moliere was a part?
8) How do Marianne and Valere get together at the end of the play?
