Tartuffe: An Excellent Example of a Neoclassical Drama

The enlightenment took place in Europe in the 18th century. It was a time of reason and science. During this period everything was redone from science to politics and also philosophy. There was also clashes between the church and society because of the change that was taking place. Great philosophers came out of this time period such as Rousseau. The ideas of the 18th century would influence how people thought and wrote.

A “tragedy, for Shakespeare, is the genre of uncompensated suffering” (Dutton and Howard, 2003, p. 9). To really understand the play Othello is to truly understand a tragedy; thus, this researcher will analyze Aristotle’s view point and compare it to phrases (or quotes) from Shakespeare’s Othello.

Throughout the entire play, Clèante’s calm and careful observations and rational suggestions serve to illustrate that he is both knowledgeable and reasonable. His sensibility and rationality is exemplified in his statement to Damis that “the King will put a stop to people who use violence to get their way” (195). In this statement, Clèante is urging Damis to show some self-control, and this conveys that Clèante’s character serves as an example of maturity and good reasoning to others. For the duration of the play, Clèante gives advice to several characters, and ultimately reminds them all to show mercy to Tartuffe, despite his hypocrisy and deceitfulness. He says, “He feels quite bad enough—no need to remonstrate. Its better you should hope that what’s been done today will coax his wayward heart to follow virtue’s way” (206). In this statement, it is apparent that Clèante’s character is a symbol of reason, for despite Tartuffe’s trickery, Clèante maintains his sensibility, and convinces the others to do so as

The play demonstrates recognition of Othello in Act V, his character changes from gullible and insecure to aware. The ideas of Aristotelian tragic components are discussed in depth in his Poetics. Aristotelian components include; the importance of events, the catharsis, the dramatic form, the reversal and recognition, and the tragic hero giving substantial proof that the play is an Aristotelian tragedy, and that Othello is a tragic hero according to Aristotle.

Moliere wrote Tartuffe in 1664, almost immediately followed by it’s first performance the same year, which was quickly censored by King Louis XIV who ruled France during this time. This was believed to be because of the play’s suspected attacks on the catholic church. A Comedy of Manners is a play which is concerned with satirizing society’s behavior and manners. A manner is the way in which individuals perform everyday duties. It suggests a polite and agreeable behavior. Comedy of Manners is known as high comedy since it includes a sophisticated wit and talent in the composition and writing of the script. In this sense it is both academic and but opposite of slapstick, which requires little ability with the script and is to a great extent

The period, known as the Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment Period, began in the late seventeenth century. It was a time of great turmoil and intellectual movements that ultimately led to the beginning of the French Revolution. Enlightenment thinkers were the ones who encouraged and proposed that we rely on and trust our instincts for decision making along with the actions that make. Many Enlightenment thinkers, such as Moliere and Voltaire, were famous for their works. They were two writers that used a very particular approach to their works. Tartuffe, by Moliere, and Candide, by Voltaire, both addressed similar topics and themes such as satire for example. Tartuffe and Candide satirized religious hypocrisy emphasizing on free thinking and reason.

The practice of worshipping a religion has been a part of human existence for thousands of years. The practice itself changes and shifts as time and humans grow, but the fundamentals of faith remain the same. While in present day the idea of religion can be a point of contention, in the past centuries it was a center of all human interaction. Moliere introduces a new outlook on religion in his published 1669 play Tartuffe. Following the household of Orgon and their interactions with a con-man, Tartuffe, disguised as a holy man. Orgon himself is completely oblivious to Tartuffe’s true nature (Gainor 539). Moliere uses this play as commentary on the society he finds himself in, 17th century France. A time between the Renaissance and the coming Enlightenment, where free thinking is on the rise (Chill 155). The entire play revolves around ideals concerning religion, and is a critique on the everyday acceptance of religious authority and control. Through the manipulative relationship of Tartuffe and Orgon, as well as the abrupt deus ex machina ending, Moliere sets a challenge to society’s blind faith in religion therefore embodying the Neoclassical idea of reason versus passion.

play has the perfect Aristotelian tragic plot consisting of peripateia, anagnorisis and catastrophe; it has the perfect tragic character that suffers from happiness to misery due to his hamartia (tragic flaw) and the play evokes pity and fear that produces the tragic effect, catharsis (a purging of emotion).

In the 3rd century B.C. a philosopher Aristotle formed what he called the “Six Elements of Drama,” which are thought/theme/ideas, action/plot, characters, language, music, and spectacle. Little did he know that two millennia later, we would use these guidelines in order to evaluate or develop an exquisite play. Twelve Angry Jurors followed these guidelines to pull in their audience and cause them to be attached to characters or intrigued by the plot in such a way only a play of high excellence could. This play was performed in Merrol Hyde Magnet School. Twelve Angry Jurors demonstrates the excellence in the thought/theme/ideas, action/plot, characters, language, music, spectacle also known as the “Six Elements of Drama”

Likewise, the struggle of the main characters to choose whether they would abandon the family unit or stay with it. This struggle is present in all the plays, as the characters need to make a choice of which would be easier to live with. These plays have the characters discover their own values as they go on their internal conflict to help their family or themselves. Moreover, the major discrepancy that occurs in making this decision is the difference in both of these choices. Hamlet was a strong example of this conflict as Hamlet struggled to see the line between which actions were unforgivable for family members. Nora had to learn the difference in her life as she could not see whether she was helping her family or doing a disservice to herself in A Doll House. Additionally, Tom knew, in The Glass Menagerie, that he needed to decide whether he was going to leave his sister because he could not support her. All of these examples drive this theory that the duty to one’s self is more powerful than helping one's family. These conflicts all caused moral dilemmas for the characters as this decision did not come easy. The duty to one's self, however, won out because this cause was more valuable and promising for the characters. These issues drove the plays as they forced the characters to choose what is more

Greek theatre and medieval drama were both very popular artistic events in their own periods of performance. However, from ancient Greece to the renaissance, time has set them apart in terms of methodology; their practitioners use a creative process based off of different mindsets. Therefore, the significant time lapse between the two genres has had an evident impact on the way theatre was perceived and presented. In comparing aspects such as religious motivations, conditions of violence and character development, the distinct theatrical natures of Greek theatre and medieval drama will be made apparent.

By using these guidelines, Shakespeare created one of his greatest Aristotelian tragedies. This is because he applied the Poetics’ guidelines to complex plot, the tragic hero, and the establishment of pity, fear, and catharsis of the audience’s emotions. The complex plot follows Othello and his transformation from nobleman to monster through the exploitation of his tragic flaw. As the plot moves from exposition, complication, challenge, conflict, climax, and finally to dénouement, Othello goes through a recognition scene which leads to a reversal in his fortune and his scene of suffering.

Drama changed literature and theater into what it is today. I. History of Elizabethan Theater a. forming of theater 1. medieval church 2. mystery and morality b. actors 1. rogues and thieves 2. acting guilds II. Influences and people a. commanding actors 1. Shakespeare 2. Burbage b. other 1. wars of the roses (other historical influences) 2. laws restricting theater III. The theaters a. prices 1. seating 2. stage b. the theater and the globe 1. locations and characteristics 2. Burbage and other accomplishment Elizabethan Drama During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, England underwent a dramatic change in priorities. The importance of art and literature became highly prevalent. The impact of the Elizabethan drama and

“In roughly built playhouses and cobblestone inn yards, an extraordinary development took place in England in the 1500s.” (Yancey, 8). At that time, an opportunity combined to produce literature achievement never before witnessed in the history of drama and theater. The renaissance, helped spark this movement by inspiring scientific and artistic creativity throughout the land. Models began writing dramas that portrayed life in both realistic and imaginative ways. This created work later captured the attention of the world that changed the English drama. The many aspects of Elizabethan theater helped to shape the acting and theater world forever.

Neoclassical Amount of the eighteenth century included very firm expectations about the framework and content of beautifully constructed wording. Together with the daybreak of the nineteenth century, experimentation with new styles and matters became much more suitable. The high-flown language of the previous generation's poets was replaced with more natural rhythm and verbiage. In conditions of poetic form, rhymed stanzas were supplying way to bare verse gradually, an unrhymed but still stroking type of poetry. The particular goal of empty sentries was to heighten conversational talk to the amount of austere beauty. Some belittled the new style as mundane; the technology became the preferred style. Probably the most popular themes of Passionate