“Tartuffe” by Moliere in brief
In the house of the venerable Orgon, at the invitation of the host, a certain Mr. Tartuffe settled. Orgon of the soul in him did not count, considering an incomparable model of righteousness and wisdom: Tartuffe’s speeches were exceptionally sublime, the teachings-thanks to which Orgon learned that the world is a big garbage pit, and now he would not blink an eye, burying his wife, children and other relatives – extremely useful, piety was admirable; and how selflessly Tartuffus harbored the morality of the family of Orgon…
Of all the household members, only his mother, Ms Pernel, shared the admiration of Orgon with the newly revealed righteous. Elmira, Orgon’s wife, her brother Cleant, the children of Orgon Damis and Mariana, and even the servants saw Tartuffe as who he really was – a hypocritical pious who cleverly uses Orgon’s delusion in his simple earthly interests: it’s tasty to eat and softly to have, a reliable roof over your head
Domashny Orgon utterly disgusted the morals of Tartuffe, with his worries about decency, he dumped from the house of almost all friends. But as soon as someone complained badly about this zealot of piety, Mrs. Pernel arranged stormy scenes, and Orgon, who simply remained deaf to any speeches not permeated with admiration for Tartuffe. When Orgon returned from a brief absence and demanded a report from Domina’s maid on the home news, the news of the spouse’s indisposition left him completely indifferent, while the story of how Tartuffe happened to overeat at dinner, then rumble until noon, and at breakfast to sort out the wines, Orgona filled with compassion for the poor man.
The daughter of Orgon, Mariana, was in love with a noble youth named Valer, and her brother Damis – in Valera’s sister. On Mariana’s marriage and Valera, Orgon seems to have already given his consent, but for some reason everything postponed the wedding. Damis, worried about his own destiny – his marriage to his sister Valera was to follow Mariana’s wedding –
What exactly Orgon sees the future of Mariana, it became clear when he informed his daughter that Tartuffe’s perfection needed compensation, and such a reward would be his marriage to her, Mariana. The girl was stunned, but did not dare to contradict her father. She had to intercede with Dorin: the maid tried to convince Orgon that to give Mariana for Tartuffe-a beggar, a low-spirited freak-would have meant becoming a mockery of the whole city, and besides, to push her daughter onto the path of sin, for however virtuous a girl might be to instruct the horns of such a hubby as Tartuffe is simply impossible. Dorina spoke very hotly and convincingly, but despite this, Orgon remained adamant in his determination to become related to Tartuffe.
Mariana was ready to submit to the will of her father – so she was told by her daughter’s duty. Submission, dictated by natural timidity and reverence for her father, tried to refashion Dorin in her, and she almost managed to do it, unfolding before Mariana bright pictures of the conjugal happiness he had prepared for Tartuffe.
But when Valer asked Mariana if she was going to obey Orgon’s will, the girl answered that she did not know. In a fit of despair, Valer advised her to do as her father would say, while he himself would find a bride who would not change this word; Mariana answered that she would be happy about this, and as a result, lovers almost fell apart forever, but Dorin arrived in time. She convinced young people of the need to fight for their happiness. But they do not have to act directly, but in a roundabout way, to waste time, and there will certainly be something there, for everyone – Elmira, and Kleant, and Damis – are against the absurd plan of Orgon,
Damis, who was even too determined, was about to properly close Tartuffe, so that he would forget about marrying Mariana. Dorin tried to cool his ardor, suggesting that more can be achieved by cunning than by threats, but she was not able to convince him of this in the end.
Suspecting that Tartuffe is not indifferent to Orgon’s wife, Dorin asked Elmira to talk to him and find out what he thinks about marrying Mariana. When Dorina told Tartuffe that the lady wanted to talk to him face to face, the saint became animated. At first, crumbling before Elmira in heavy compliments, he did not let her and her mouth open, when she finally asked about Mariana, Tartuffe began to assure her that his heart was captivated by another. At the bewilderment of Elmira – how is it, a person of a holy life and suddenly is engulfed in carnal passion? – her admirer answered with ardor that yes, he is pious, but at the same time, after all, a man, that they say the heart is not flint… Immediately, without bothers, Tartuffe offered Elmira to surrender to the delights of love. In response, Elmira asked how, according to Tartuffe, her husband would behave when he heard of his heinous harassment.
Damis spoiled everything. He overheard the conversation and, indignant, rushed to his father. But, as might be expected, Orgon did not believe his son, but Tartuffe, this time surpassing himself in hypocritical self-abasement. In anger he told Damis to get out of sight and announced that today Tartuffe would marry Mariana. In his dowry, Orgon gave his future son-in-law all his fortune.
Cleant for the last time tried to speak humanly to Tartuffe and persuade him to reconcile with Damis, to renounce the unjustly acquired property and from Mariana – after all, it is not for the Christian to use for his own enrichment the quarrel between his father and his son, and even more so doom the girl to a lifelong torment. But Tartuffe, a noble rhetorician, had an excuse for everything.
Mariana begged her father not to give her Tartuffe – let him take his dowry, and she’d better go to the monastery. But Orgon, who learned something from his pet, without blinking an eye, urged the poor thing in the soul-saving life with her husband, which only causes disgust – after all, the killing of the flesh is only useful. Finally, Elmira did not tolerate – since her husband does not believe the words of his relatives, he should first check the baseness of Tartuffe. Convinced that it is necessary to make sure of him just in the wrong – in the moral integrity of the righteous – Orgon agreed to climb under the table and from there to overhear a conversation that will be conducted alone by Elmira and Tartuffe.
Tartuffe immediately pecked at Elmira’s pretentious statements that she allegedly feels a strong feeling for him, but at the same time showed some certain prudence: before he refused to marry Mariana, he wanted to get from her stepmother, so to speak, a tangible pledge of tender feelings. That before the violation of the commandment, which will entail the delivery of this pledge, then, as assured Elmira Tartuffe, he has his own ways to face heaven.
Heard by Orgon from under the table was enough to finally collapse his blind faith in the sanctity of Tartuffe. He told the scoundrel to get out immediately, he tried to justify himself, but now it was useless. Then Tartuffe changed his tone and, before he proudly retired, promised to brutally get even with Orgon.
Threat of Tartuffe was not unfounded: first, Orgon had already managed to redeem the donation to his house, which from today belonged to Tartuffe; Secondly, he entrusted the crook of the casket with the papers that had exposed his brother, for political reasons forced to leave the country.
It was necessary to urgently look for some way out. Damis volunteered to beat Tartuffe and discourage his desire to harm, but Cleant stopped the young man – with his mind, he argued, you can do more than fists. Home Orgons have not yet invented anything when the bailiff, Mr. Loyal, appeared on the threshold of the house. He brought a warrant for tomorrow morning to vacate the house of Mr. Tartuffe. Here his hands were combed already not only at Damis, but also at Dorin and even Orgon himself.
As it turned out, Tartuffe did not fail to use the second chance he had to spoil the life of his recent benefactor: Valer brought news that the scoundrel had handed over the casket with the papers to the king, and now Orgon is threatened with arrest for aiding the rebel brother. Orgon decided to run until it was too late, but the guards outstripped him: the officer who had entered announced that he had been arrested.
Together with the royal officer, Tartuffe came to Orgon’s house. Domestic, including finally enlightened Mrs. Pernel, began to shame in unison the hypocritical villain, enumerating all his sins. Tom got tired of this soon, and he turned to the officer with a request to protect his person from vile attacks, but in response, to his great-and universal-amazement, he heard that he was arrested.
As the officer explained, in fact he did not appear behind Orgon, but in order to see how Tartuffe comes to the end in his shamelessness. The wise king, the enemy of lies and the bulwark of justice, from the very beginning had suspicions about the identity of the informer and was, as always, right – under the name of Tartuffe, a scoundrel and a swindler were hiding, on whose account a great many dark deeds. With his power, the emperor dissolved the gift for the house and forgave Orgon for indirect complicity with the rebellious brother.
Tartuffe was sent to the prison in disgrace, but Orgon had nothing to do except to praise the wisdom and generosity of the monarch, and then bless the union of Valera and Mariana.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)