Seventeenth century Europe was a time of burgeoning change in the framework of society. The ideas of independent thinking of the Renaissance were taking hold; the era of uninformed, illiterate masses unquestioningly following the dictates of the Church, the hallmark of the Dark Ages, was abating. From this environment emerged artists whose works reflected these shifts in society. During the reign of Louis XIV in France, Moliere introduced the play Tartuffe, a satire of religious hypocrisy. This work is a product of the new environment of greater intellectual freedom, and is representative of some of the shifts in society that were taking place in Europe at the time. The characters in Tartuffe can be seen as reflections of aspects of society that were undergoing or affected by this transformation into Renaissance culture.

Four characters of Tartuffe, Cleante, Dorine, Tartuffe and Orgon, each embody a part of society that Moliere has observed is in conflict, and uses the he uses them to highlight, and perhaps hasten, the transformations and awakenings that are underway during his time. Tartuffe is a symbol of the Church. He is not a symbol of the religion, however, but a symbo

Tartuffe is the prime target of Moliere’s satire. As a con man feigning piety for self-gain, he symbolizes the religious hypocrisy in the Church. While the Church was by no means a safe target for attack at the time, its dominance and control of society were waning enough for Moliere to take aim at religious hypocrisy through satire without severe consequences. The Church in the Dark Ages was in complete control of society. In order to live a life in the good graces of God, members of society needed to follow the dictates of whatever the Church deemed appropriate. The Church was able to use this great influence to control great wealth and command great power. Naturally, with such concentration of power, came elements of corruption, and its handmaid, hypocrisy. The upheaval of the Reformation with the blossoming of Renaissance ideas independent of the Church provided an environment where this hypocrisy was beginning to be exposed. The use of the stature of the Church for enrichment, through practices such as the sales of indulgences, and the disparate levels of wealth between the clergy who professed to honor poverty and the poverty of those they professed to serve were ripe subjects for Moliere’s satire.

The reasoned argument has yet to have its day, as Moliere illustrates by the blind eye that Orgon turns to Cleante’s logic. Society is shown to be not quite out of the grip of blind faith and not quite ready to embrace the age of reason. Orgon dismisses Cleante’s attempts to enlighten him by offering this rebuke to his argument:

To think I acted from self-interst.

Brother, your language savors of impiety.

Their specious glitter does not charm my eyes; (Moliere 111)

Some topics in this essay:
Dark Ages, XIV Orgon, Orgon Cleante’s, Church Tartuffe, Tartuffe Dorine, Renaissance Moliere, Valere Tartuffe’s, Church Moliere, France Moliere, Change Seventeenth, religious hypocrisy, hypocrisy church, established society, reason logic, dorine masses, common sense, ideas independent, shifts society, moliere’s satire, opposition hypocrisy,