Tartuffe

Molière’s incendiary 17th-century comedy, *Tartuffe*, skewers the sanctimonious scoundrel and, more cuttingly, the gullibility of his victims. The play follows the wealthy Orgon, who falls completely under the sway of Tartuffe, a supposed man of God whose piety is a transparent sham to everyone but Orgon himself. As Tartuffe ingratiates himself further, even attempting to marry Orgon's daughter and seize his estate, the family’s increasingly desperate attempts to expose the fraud are met with Orgon’s unwavering, almost fanatical, devotion. This domestic farce escalates into a sharp critique of blind faith and the dangers of unchecked zealotry, culminating in a dramatic, albeit divinely intervened, resolution. More than just a period piece, *Tartuffe* remains a potent and uproariously funny exploration of human folly, hypocrisy, and the seductive power of appearances. Molière’s genius lies not just in creating the archetypal religious charlatan (whose name literally entered the lexicon), but in dissecting the psychological mechanisms that allow such figures to thrive. The play's enduring relevance lies in its timeless dissection of how easily reason can be subverted by emotional manipulation and how difficult it is to confront those who weaponize virtue. Curtis Hidden Page’s seminal blank verse translation expertly captures the wit and rhythm of Molière's original, making this classic feel remarkably fresh and bitingly relevant today.