Moliere's Tartuffe and Racine's Phedre are 17th century; France Neo-Classicalism. This was that was also a period of Age of Reason and the Enlightenment. Moliere's Tartuffe is a comedy. One of Moliere's Tartuffe major themes was a conflict between reason and passion. Throughout the play reason and passion was continuously used or referred to. In the beginning of the play it opens with Madame Pernelle showing her passion over reason when referring to Tartuffe. She believed in him know matter what. Even though she did not know Tartuffe, which should have been her reason for not trusting him. However, passion took over and Madame Pernelle stood to her believing in Tartuffe to the end of the play; even though Madame Pernelle choose passion or reason, because she believed in Tartuffe. There were other individual in the play that went with reason and did not let their passion take over into accepting Tartuffe. For example, Clente, Damis, Dorine, and Elmira. Passion takes over Orgon throughout this play. Orgon is clear of his reason, but go with his passion, when he accepts Tartuffe into his home and treats Tartuffe better than his family, which causes disorder in the family. .
Because Orgon goes with passion over reason, he is deceived and Tartufee almost gets everything that belongs to him. However, because this is a comedy, which is a play that takes place with a marriage, and then have someone whose trying to prevent that marriage which is called a blocking agent. But in the end the two ends married anyway because someone else get involves and take over. In this case that someone is King Louis XIV. It is because of him that reason wins in this play. He saves the day, and Orgon and his family get to keep them home and everything that belongs to him, because this King makes the choices or decision, and went with reason. He saw threw Tartuffe hypocrisy which was another major theme in the story.
