Set a Climax Scene in Tartuffe

Blog Prompt #3 Tartuffe

Wan-Ting Lin

Set a Climax Scene in Tartuffe

Elmire: Pull up this table, and get under it.
Orgon: What?
Elmire: It’s essential that you be well-hidden.
Orgon: Why there?
Elmire: Oh, Heavens! Just do as you are bidden
I have my plans; we’ll soon see how they fare.
Under the table, now; and once you’re there,
Take care that you are neither seen nor heard.
Orgon: Well, I’ll indulge you, since I gave my word
To see you through this infantile charade.
Elmire: Once it is over, you’ll be glad we played.

(To his husband, who is now under the table.)

I’m going to act quite strangely, now, and you
Must not be shocked at anything I do.
Whatever I may say, you must excuse
As part of that deceit I’m forced to use.
I shall employ sweet speeches in the task
Of making that impostor drop his mask;
I’ll give encouragement to his bold desires,
And furnish fuel to his amorous fires.
Since it’s for your sake, and for his destruction,
That I shall seem to yield to his seduction,
I’ll gladly stop whenever you decide
That all your doubts are fully satisfied.
I’ll count on you, as soon as you have seen
What sort of man he is, to intervene,
And not expose me to his odious lust
One moment longer than you feel you must.
Remember: you’re to save me from my plight
Whenever … He’s coming! Hush! Keep out of sight!

This scene interests me the most because of its dramatic effect. I think the climax of this play is in Act 4 scene 4. In the beginning of the scene, the author gave a special setting for the characters. By revealing through Elmire’s words, the author showed the audience that the main character Orgon is going to hide under the table. This ridiculous setting gives special effect especially in the theater that the audience could watch the whole plots in an omniscient perspective. That is, both the seduction scene of Tartuffe to Elmire and the hidden Orgon are shown on the stage, giving a real comic effect to entertain the audience.

The intention of Elmire is obvious; she wants to show her husband of Tartuffe’s fake mask. She is like a playwright who sets a setting (or a trap) to lure Tartuffe to enter her room. As to setting inside her room, I think it’s because inside her room is more private. She is familiar with her room, so she takes advantages. If anything bad happened, she can easily get rid of the bad deed. Also, the room represents the private place of the women. She lets Tartuffe go inside her room means she opens part of herself to the strange man. She gives Tartuffe the chance to violate her in order to make her husband believe that Tartuffe is a hypocrite.

In addition, the witty Elmire also arranges her husband to hide under the table where he can see and hear Tartuffe’s deed clearly. Rather than hiding inside a wardrobe, “under the table” is a better choice for the playwright. By setting under the table, Orgon’s expression and action are clearly presented to the audience. In the plot, Elmire said, “It’s essential that you be well-hidden.” I think this account is fairly ridiculous because hiding under the table will never be a good idea. The place under the table is not a good choice because the one who hides there would easily be found. There’s no cover around the table so that if Tartuffe is careful enough, he can easily find Orgon’s hidden place. So the words “well-hidden” which was said by Elmire is totally sarcastic.

Besides the place setting, the plot setting is quite interesting as well. Elmire sets a trap for Tartuffe to reveal his true face. She expresses her idea to her husband as “I’m going to act quite strangely, now.” She warns her husband at first in order to let her husband know that she is going to “act” as a different person. The setting of acting as another person is also an implication to the acting of Tartuffe. He as a hypocrite hides his true intention and acts in front of all the people. So by acting and tricking Tartuffe into a trap, Elmire not only wins the faith from her husband but also helps the audience and other characters regain justice.