Serious question raised by this play: What's the difference between being a good Christian and being a gullible fool? (In other words, religious hypocrites encourage us to confuse satisfying our own selfish desires with being good Christians; what are the selfish desires in ourselves that they exploit? Look at Mme. Pernelle and Orgon to see how regarding Tartuffe as "holy" benefits them. What are clues that should warn them he is a fraud?) This is another play that helps us decide how we can tell lies from truth.

JOURNAL QUESTIONS FOR TARTUFFE (Use SEEE in answering questions)

Act I: (answer all three)-- due Thursday, Oct. 16

1. Give 3 reasons for thinking that Mme. Pernelle is not a "credible" person (a person whose accusations should be given serious consideration) (5 pts.) (Don't just use derogatory terms- state specific kinds of things she says and does and explain why they support your point.)

2. What does the family accuse Orgon of? (2 pts.)

3. When Orgon enters, do his actions and words support or contradict their accusation? Explain. (3 pts.)

Act II and Act III: (answer #1 -- and 2 more, selected from #2,3,4,5)-due Thursday, Oct. 23

1. Who are two of the "reasonable" people in this play (people whose opinions and comments are trustworthy-not just people who happen to be right, but people who give balanced and sensible reasons for choices)? Give some examples that demonstrate "balanced" and "sensible" and explain.

2. We first see Tartuffe in Act III. What evidence (his behavior and what he says) indicates that he might be a fraud? (Explain why the evidence indicates that.)

3. Find a quote in Act III (there are more exs. in Act IV) where Tartuffe twists Christian doctrine to serve his own ends and explain how he does this. (How do you react?)

4. Damis shares characteristics with his father. What actions and lines show that Damis is prone to being deceived? (being taken in by others or himself)?

5. What line in III, vi, indicates a motive for Orgon (a way religion is serving his less admirable "needs")?

Act IV: (questions for discussion in class)

1. What comment does the table scene make on the way Orgon determines truth? (In other words, why does he delay so long?)

2. What foolish (non-rational) decision does Orgon make concerning Tartuffe at the end of Act IV and why is it foolish? (Orgon has what characteristic in common with his son Damis?)

3. Elmire exploits the same weakness in Tartuffe that Tartuffe exploits in deceiving others. What? Support with evidence.

4. Use the answer to #3 to come to a better understanding of what makes Orgon prone to error.

Act V: (answer #1 and #2 -due Tuesday, Oct. 28 (#3, 4, 5 are for class discussion)

1. Why have Mme. Pernelle enter again? (having her enter again shows something about a major character and something about ideas explored in the play)

2. Find an interchange with Cleante that indicates that Orgon has not learned from experience (he will not know any better in the future how to judge whether someone is a fraud). What does Orgon say he is going to do, and what does Cleante say is wrong with that?

3. Who are the "wise" (or "rational") people in this play? What characteristics make people wise, according to Moliere?

4. The way Tartuffe's fraud is discovered constitutes the author's comment on the relative success of people like Tartuffe--so decide whether you think the ending seems realistic or more like "deus ex machina"-- that indicates whether or not the author thinks fraud is likely to thrive in the world).

5. Is Moliere criticizing hypocrites? non-rationality? established religion? or some combination of these?