Here we see a strong female character voicing her opinion to practically anyone that will listen to her. She may be a know-it-all but in this circumstance, a know-it-all is preferable to one that knows absolutely nothing. Mariane, on the other hand, is character that evolves as the play progresses. In the beginning of the play, she bends to her father's will as far as marrying Tartuffe. The importance of children obeying their father is demonstrating in this act because Mariane is in love with Valere. She tells Dorine how much she and Valere are in love and if her father pushes her to marry Tartuffe she will kill herself. She is fully aware of the circumstances around her but she is fearful of making a stand on her on behalf. Mariane does not have the gumption to stand up to her father and she only gains that strength after several discussions with Dorine and Valere. She finally musters up the strength to confront her father and asks him not to force her into a marriage with Tartuffe. She goes as far as to offer her share of her inheritance to Tartuffe and begs her father to leave her out of any of his deals with Tartuffe. Here we see how she has gained the courage to speak to her father even though it seems as though...

The important thing to note is that she did have the strength to face him and express her feelings.
Strong women are always to be admired and this is especially true in a society that does not grant women the same freedoms women experience in the twenty-first century. Dorine and Mariane in Moliere's play, Tartuffe, represent extremely strong women because they are speaking out against customs that hinder women in many ways. Dorine has an opinion about everything and she is not the least bit inhibited to express those opinions. It is her fierceness that moves her to speak out Orgon's ridiculous idea to see Mariane marry Tartuffe. She simply will not let the matter rest and it is her persistence that allows Mariane to realize that she does not and should not have to marry Tartuffe when she is in love with another man. Dorine and Mariane are examples of strong women that defy societal norms and become stronger individuals because of it. They challenge what is simply accepted by other women and demonstrate that women do have voices and deserve to be heard.

Works Cited

Moliere, Jean Baptiste. Tartuffe. Moliere Plays. New York: The Modern…