Tartuffe by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Moliere - Essay Example

Tartuffe Tartuffe is a play about Orgon and how he was fooled by Tartuffe, a hypocrite who pretends to be someonewho is a very pious and religious man. It shows how gullible some religious followers could be, to the point of fanaticism. Moliere was satirizing the very strict religious practices and beliefs and the sanctimonious churchgoers. Moliere was also satirizing the clergy for claiming to be very holy people yet some of them were actually immoral. Religious hypocrisy is being mocked in the play.

Tartuffe was controversial because it was viewed by some people as making fun of religion and those who practiced it. The church hierarchy did not approve of how Moliere portrayed a clergyman, in the person of Tartuffe, who was a scheming and manipulative person. It was shocking to the religious that a clergyman will want to marry a woman, specifically, Orgon’s daughter, Mariane. From the play one can observe how other people blindly follow people of authority especially those believed to be of extreme piety like the religious leaders.

The play warns its audience about being gullible and believing and following everything these people of authority will say or order. The play somehow asks its readers to be wary of the motives of other people who pretend to be of good moral character. The most effective way to bring about change is to be careful in accepting the teachings of preachers. Not everything they say is gospel truth. Church believers must be able to judge what is true from what is false. The practice of one’s religion should not be done with closed eyes.

One should not allow anyone to manipulate him in the guise of following his religious beliefs.