The Role Of Women In Tartuffe English Literature Essay

Tartuffe written in 1664 by Jean-Baptise Poquelin Moliere both challenges and supports traditional gender stereotypes for adult females. During this clip period adult females were looked at much otherwise than they are today. Womans were supposed to be subservient to the work forces in their lives. The adult females I chose to speak about are Dorine and Mariane. These two adult females displayed opposite features doing the traditional function of adult females conflicting throughout the narrative.

Dorine is the first adult females I will speak about in this paper. She had many features throughout this drama that I found to be really amusing but at the same clip baronial. I believe that Dorine ‘s character challenges the tradition functions for adult females. Dorine is considered to be Mariane ‘s retainer or lady in waiting. Dorine ‘s character in this drama is really honorable and blunt. She did non keep back what she was believing. She had no job stating Mariane, Orgon and Tartuffe how she felt. This was really unusual behaviour for adult females in this clip, particularly for a lady in waiting.

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The first brush I am traveling to speak about is that between Dorine and Orgon. Orgon is seeking to hold a private conversation with his girl and Dorine walks in an interrupts. In Act II, Scene II we see Dorine talk her head about Mariane get marrieding Tartuffe. Get downing about line 13 we see a Dorine interrupt Mariane and speak on her behalf:

ORGON. “ Daughter, I mean it ; you ‘re to be his married woman. ”

DORINE. “ No, do n’t believe your male parent ; it ‘s all a fraud ”

( 2.2. 12-14 )

Back in these times no adult females would talk back to a adult male like that, allow entirely person they worked for. This demonstrates her bold character. Dorine and Orgon ‘s controversy goes back and Forth for the remainder of the scene. Around line 86 we Dorine keeps disrupting Orgon and he is acquiring really angry:

ORGON. “ Do n’t disrupt me farther. Why ca n’t you larn

That certain things are none of your concern? ”

DORINE. “ It ‘s for your ain interest that I interfere ”

( 2.2.86-88 )

For every remark, statement or inquiry that Orgon threw out during this scene Dorine has a witty response really rapidly.

The following brush is between Dorine and Mariane. Even though this is non a male/female brush it still shows Dorine ‘s bluntness. Dorine is supposed to be Mariane ‘s amah, but yet she is really honorable with her. In the following scene we see Dorine outraged at the fact that Mariane did non lodge up for herself:

DORINE. “ Well, have you lost your lingua, miss? Must I play

Your portion, and say the lines you ought to state?

Faced with a destiny so horrid and absurd,

Can you non express one dissenting word? ”

MARIANE. “ What good would it make? A male parent ‘s power is great. ”

( 2.3.1-5 )

These two lines truly show the contrast between the two misss. Mariane is clearly showing the subservient miss that does what she is told. Knowing that you are non allowed to oppugn what is being said. Then you have Dorine that disagrees wholly. She wants Marianne to be more unfastened and to lodge up for herself. Very opposing female functions played between these two characters.

The last brush I am traveling to speak about is between Dorine and Tartuffe in Act V, Scene VII. This is the mildest effusions we see from Dorine, but yet she is still there seting her two cents in. We see Dorine say: “ How he exploits the name of Heaven! It ‘s shameless. ” ( 5.7.5 ) She has no fright to talk what is on her head. Again we see her bell in and state: “ All that we most revere, he uses to dissemble his secret plans and camouflage his artifices. “ ( 5.7.25 ) It seems that whenever there is an statement traveling on Dorine is as if by magic there seting in her remarks. She depicts the complete antonym of how adult females in the clip were expected to move. I think it added a great trade of comedy to the drama.

Mariane is the other adult female I will speak about in this paper. She is the female character that represents the traditional gender stereotypes during this clip period. Mariane is Orgon ‘s girl and is really willing to make whatever her male parent asks of her. The readers get the image and feeling that Mariane is a quiet character throughout his play.A We see her described by Madame Pernelle in Act I, Scene I when she says: “ And you, his sister, seem so pure, So shy, so guiltless, and so coy ” ( 1.1.22-23 ) . Throughout the remainder of the drama many actions prove that she is diffident and innocent.A A A A A

The first of those actions is Mariane is non able to lodge up for herself as the other characters do. For illustration in Act II, Scene II Orgon is forcing Mariane to accept the matrimony to Tartuffe.A Even though Mariane is in love with Valere and wants to get married him she does non lodge up for herself and protest. Alternatively, it is her maid Dorine that is seeking to convert Orgon to alter his mind.A It becomes clear in the undermentioned scenes that she does non desire to travel against her father.A

Traveling on to Act II, Scene III we see Mariane talk about non desiring to travel against her male parent, “ A male parent ‘s power is great ” ( 2.3.5 ) . A adult female ‘s function during this clip was to be subservient to their male parents and so to their hubbies. Mariane is really afraid to travel against her male parent because she has ever obeyed him. We see Dorine attempt to convert Mariane to lodge up for herself in Act II, Scene III:

DORINE. “ Tell him one can non love at a male parent ‘s caprice ;

That you shall get married for yourself, non him ;

That since it ‘s you who are to be the bride,

It ‘s you, non he, who must be satisfiedaˆ¦ ”

MARIANE. “ I ‘ve bowed so long to Father ‘s rigorous control,

I could n’t oppose him now, to salvage my psyche ”

( 2.3.7-14 )

Mariane did non desire to travel against her male parent. She wanted to hear the advice of Dorine but yet did non desire to follow it. Mariane seems to move really dramatic and helpless. Mariane demonstrates the quality of being really fleeceable. In Act II, Scene IV Mariane is speaking with Valere. She asks him for his advice and he explains that he thinks it ‘s a good thought for her to get married Tartuffe, and she believes him.

As you can see there are two really opposite adult females represented throughout this drama. Dorine is outspoken and vey direct, whereas Mariane is quiet and obedient. Mariane fits the traditional function of a adult female during this clip. She was faithful to her male parent and would make what he asked of her, this is what was expected of adult females. Dorine on the other manus challenged the traditional function of adult females during this clip. She was a amah and spoke what was on her head. It did non affair who it was, she was ever honest. This created a humourous tone to the drama, but for this clip she was really out of line.

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