Tartuffe

            Tartuffe as a Reflection of Social Change.
             Seventeenth century Europe was a time of burgeoning change in the framework of society. The ideas of independent thinking of the Renaissance were taking hold; the era of uninformed, illiterate masses unquestioningly following the dictates of the Church, the hallmark of the Dark Ages, was abating. From this environment emerged artists whose works reflected these shifts in society. During the reign of Louis XIV in France, Moliere introduced the play Tartuffe, a satire of religious hypocrisy. This work is a product of the new environment of greater intellectual freedom, and is representative of some of the shifts in society that were taking place in Europe at the time. The characters in Tartuffe can be seen as reflections of aspects of society that were undergoing or affected by this transformation into Renaissance culture. .
             Four characters of Tartuffe, Cleante, Dorine, Tartuffe and Orgon, each embody a part of society that Moliere has observed is in conflict, and uses the he uses them to highlight, and perhaps hasten, the transformations and awakenings that are underway during his time. Tartuffe is a symbol of the Church. He is not a symbol of the religion, however, but a symbol of the hypocrisy associated with the Church. Dorine represents the masses that are becoming more intellectually free and vocal, Cleante reflects the concepts of reason and logic, which are blooming with the onset of the Enlightenment, while Orgon embodies the established society that is dealing with these changing mores.
             Tartuffe is the prime target of Moliere's satire. As a con man feigning piety for self-gain, he symbolizes the religious hypocrisy in the Church. While the Church was by no means a safe target for attack at the time, its dominance and control of society were waning enough for Moliere to take aim at religious hypocrisy through satire without severe consequences.