Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite
A French Classical Comedy of Religious Imposture, Domestic Hypocrisy, and the Conflict Between Appearance and TruthBy Molière
Length2h 16m
About this audiobook
Molière's *Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite* is a five-act comedy in rhymed alexandrines that exposes the social and moral dangers of counterfeit piety. The plot centers on Orgon, a credulous bourgeois who welcomes the ostensibly devout Tartuffe into his household, overlooking the impostor's avarice, sensuality, and manipulative control. Through sharp reversals, verbal wit, comic misunderstandings, and the practical intelligence of characters such as Elmire and Dorine, Molière contrasts genuine virtue with theatrical sanctimony. The play belongs to the classical tradition of French comedy while extending it into pointed social criticism, probing the tensions among religious authority, domestic power, inheritance, and reason. Its satire is not an attack on faith itself, but on hypocrisy that exploits faith for private advantage. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known as Molière, was France's leading comic dramatist and actor, whose theatrical experience gave his dialogue exceptional rhythm, precision, and stage vitality. Writing under the patronage of Louis XIV, he repeatedly challenged fashionable pretensions and abuses of power. The controversy surrounding *Tartuffe*—first performed at Versailles in 1664 and subsequently suppressed before its revised public premiere in 1669—reflects the play's unsettling scrutiny of religious influence and social self-deception. This enduring comedy is recommended to readers interested in satire, classical theatre, and the psychology of credulity. Its elegant verse, memorable characters, and continuing relevance make it both an incisive historical document and a remarkably entertaining study of how manipulation flourishes when appearances are mistaken for truth.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.0 (58.9K)
Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing, StoryGraph, Amazon
GenreLiterary Classics
Length2 hrs 16 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 22, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Minna Von Barnhelm
19SCENE VI
2INTRODUCTORY NOTE
20SCENE VII
3CHARACTERS
21SCENE I
4SCENE I
22SCENE II
5SCENE II
23SCENE III
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6SCENE III
24SCENE IV
7SCENE IV
25SCENE V
8SCENE V
26SCENE VI
9SCENE VI
27SCENE VII
10SCENE I
28SCENE VIII
11SCENE II
29SCENE I
12SCENE III
30SCENE II
13SCENE IV
31SCENE III
14SCENE I
32SCENE IV
15SCENE II
33SCENE V
16SCENE III
34SCENE VI
17SCENE IV
35SCENE VII
18SCENE V
36SCENE VIII
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