Tartuffe the Play
After reading the play Tartuffe found in your text book, respond to ONE of the following questions with a thorough 800-1,000 word response. Your response must be typed, double-spaced, using a 12 point font, and 1 margins. Full credit reading responses will include a brief introduction with a clear thesis statement, a well-developed response using specific references to lecture material and/or the text, and a logical conclusion. Include a word count at the end of your response. Please include a word count. 1.The influence of Commedia del Arte style is evident in much of Molieres work, including Tartuffe. How do commedia plot lines or character types influence the writing of Tartuffe? Where do you see it in this play? Use specific examples from the text in your response. 2.Much has been made about the ending of the play, Tartuffe and many modern audiences feel that the king saving the day at the very last minute seems like a weak way to end a rather complicated plot. Do you feel that the ending is fitting? Why is the play written this way? What does the ending reveal about the culture? 3. The preface to the edition of Tartuffe in your text includes several letters Moliere wrote attempting to get the play produced. Why would this play have been such a controversy to the audience and the sensibilities of the day? Who is Moliere really critiquing in this play? How does he accomplish this?
