The Enlightenment in Tartuffe

In Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Moliere's play, "Tartuffe," the character Dorine signifies closely with the ideas and actions of the Enlightenment era. There are several specific instances which support this, and the overall demeanor of the character throughout the play also shows how aligned with the Enlightenment the character was written.

In the first act and scene of the play, "Tartuffe," Dorine is introduced as Mariane's lady's maid and Moliere immediately begins to depict the character as a logical, intelligent, and plain speaking person. In a conversation that takes place between five characters in the opening act, Moliere writes several long statements given by a character named Madame Pernelle. In one of these long statements, Madame Pernelle states that a town member named Orante is "virtuous and devout", Dorine immediately points out that the reason Orante is "virtuous and devout" is because the character no longer has the beauty of youth and has decided to live her life in solitude. (Moliere 316). Later in the act, Madame Pernelle states herself as being "People of sense…" (317), but a few lines later passionately slaps another character, showing that Pernelle's actions and comments are not of the Enlightenment and that Dorine's are.

In scene three of the same act, the head of the house, Orgon, makes a return home from a business trip, and inquires from Dorine the state of his house. Dorine tells him of his wife's recent illness, but Orgon is uninterested, only concerning himself with the state of his houseguest, Tartuffe. Dorine finds his reaction to his wife's illness to be ridiculous, and answers his question as sarcastically as possible. Orgon, still only caring for Tartuffe, misses her sarcasm and continues to bombard her with questions about the man. Dorine's sarcastic expression of her incredulity at Orgon's indifference to his wife's illness is a supreme example of the thoughts and feelings of the Enlightenment.

Later in scene three of act two, Dorine is having a conversation with Mariane, whose father has betrothed her to the title character, Tartuffe. This conversation most clearly outlines Dorine's views on suicide, which run concurrent with the Enlightenment view on suicide.

Dorine: What of Tartuffe, then? What of your father's plan?

Mariane: I'll kill myself, if I'm forced to wed that man.

Dorine: I hadn't thought of that recourse. How splendid! Just die, and all your troubles will be ended! A fine solution. Oh, it maddens me

To hear you talk in that self-pitying key (Moliere 328).

Dorine's views on suicide are clearly expressed in this passage. When Mariane speaks of committing the act, Dorine finds it such a ridiculous notion that she makes fun of Mariane for suggesting it. The students of the Enlightenment thought the act of suicide to be so unreasonable, that the only proper recourse for dealing with such a notion was to speak sarcastically in response, in turn mocking the person who had suggested suicide.

Simply put, students and scholars of the Enlightenment period, or the Age of Reason, believed that any and all situations and conflicts could be solved with calm reasoning and that any person or persons who reacted to such situations passionately, and unreasonably, were to be ridiculed. The character Dorine in Moliere's "Tartuffe," signifies herself as an "enlightened character" several times throughout the play. The main points of her enlightenment are shown in conversations with Madame Pernelle, Orgon, and Mariane. In these conversations Dorine clearly shows several views and actions that are widely regarded as those of the Enlightenment era.