Tartuffe (or The Hypocrite)
The required English translation of the play Tartuffe by Moliere is available free in eBook form from The Project Gutenberg（http://gutenberg.org/files/28488/28488-h/28488-h.htm）
Read Tartuffe and answer question
More to read: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Assignment Questions
- Who is the main character? Why do you think this character is the main character of the story? Give at least three reasons/examples from the play.
- What is the major dramatic question? Remember, this concerns the goal of the main character. Think about what character has a goal that is pursued throughout the play. Put in the form of a question: Will [main character’s name] succeed in [his/her goal]?
- Tone of the play:
a) What is the tone of the play? Serious or comic? (Remember to think about the French Neoclassical rules for plays when determining your answer.
b) How is the tone established and maintained? Give at least three examples from the play that illustrate how you knew you were reading a serious or comic play
4. How are the French Neoclassical rules observed? These are the rules that playwrights were required to follow when creating plays. For each rule below, please explain what the rule was and how well Moliere followed the rule. Be sure to give examples from the play to support your answer. The textbook discusses the French Neoclassical rules if you need additional help.
a) Unities of time, place, and action
b) The five act structure
c) Rule about physical violence onstage
d) Rhyming couplets (dialogue)
e) Upholding poetic justice
f) The two purposes of drama – to please and instruct – and what lesson the play is teaching us
5. Did you enjoy the play? Why or why not? Defend your position with at least three reasons
Also read: Beowulf Motifs Hero and Monster