Molière - Œuvres Complètes, Tome 1

Tartuffe caused a scandal that reverberated through 17th-century Paris. Banned for five years by royal decree, this devastating comedy of manners peeled back the mask of religious hypocrisy to expose the vulnerability of those who mistake devotion for virtue. The plot is elegantly vicious: an imposter named Tartuffe insinuates himself into the household of the wealthy Orgon, feigning piety so convincingly that Orgon offers him his daughter, his fortune, and ultimately his wife. Only the eventual unmasking prevents catastrophe. What makes Molière enduring is his weapon-grade precision - every line does double duty as comedy and social critique. This volume collects the first act of Molière's theatrical revolution. It is for readers who understand that laughter can be a form of resistance, and that theater has always been the safest place to stage dangerous truths.