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However, having Mariane married to such a fraud is too much and Orgon's family devise a plan to expose Tartuffe as the true fraud he is while still avoiding any serious conflicts. The plan is to trap Tartuffe into confessing to Elmire, Orgon's wife, his true desire for her. The thought is that a truly pious man who comes to stay as a guest in another man's house would have anything but sexual feelings for the other man's wife. The plan goes according to plan, with Tartuffe seducing Elmire, until the eavesdropping Damis cannot stand the scene anymore and prematurely confronts Tartuffe himself. Suddenly, the conflict between piousness and fraud is ignited, threatening to carry both parties further away from what a pious life truly is.
When Orgon enters and is told by Damis what has occurred, Tartuffe uses a trick akin to reverse psychology filled with religious undertones, acknowledging the fact that he is "the worst sinner." Again Orgon falls for Tartuffe's deceiving, believing that Tartuffe is nothing but a pious man willing to take blame for anything in order to avoid a conflict. Thus, Orgon, believing that Demis is lying, throws him out of the house and in facts allows Tartuffe to be around his wife even more.
Later in the play, Elmire herself tells Orgon what is going...
It only at this time that Orgon hears the truth and orders Tartuffe out. However, it is too late at Orgon has already signed over all his worldly possessions to Tartuffe, including a box of incriminating letters. Thus, Tartuffe orders Orgon to leave his own house.
It is only at the last minute that Tartuffe's plan is foiled by the King and he is arrested. The play ends with Orgon's family being grateful that they escaped the fraud of Tartuffe.
From the interactions and conflicts that occur between the characters, the aforementioned theme is carried out. The play shows that more often than not, piety is used to cloak a fraud and that because of this, religion often corrupts and destroys truly pious people. As Tartuffe's actions further and further entrench Orgon and his family into despair, each of them, through both internal and external conflicts, show more and more signs of being impious themselves.
Bibliography
Hartnoll, Phyllis. Ed. (1983): The Oxford Companion to the Theatre. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Moliere, Jean-Baptiste. (1988): Tartuffe. Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Roy, Donald. (1995): "Moliere." The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Scott, Virginia. (2000): Moliere: A Theatrical Life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bibliography
Hartnoll, Phyllis. Ed. (1983): The Oxford Companion to the Theatre. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Moliere, Jean-Baptiste. (1988): Tartuffe. Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Roy, Donald. (1995): "Moliere." The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Scott, Virginia. (2000): Moliere: A Theatrical Life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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