Moliere wrote Tartuffe during the reign of Louis XIV, who subsequently banned it from production, and read it aloud in his court among respected dignitaries at the same time. Moliere must have had the last laugh at this ironic turn of events, as the actions of Louis XIV on this occasion seem to establish the very theme of the play: That is the notion of hypocrisy, and by rights, the conflict between appearance and reality in society.
Certainly, this is a repetitive theme, not only throughout Tartuffe, but throughout life. We are well aware that things are not always as they seem, and as such are often deceived by the appearance of individuals and events, rather than investigating the realities of these situations. In Tartuffe, Moliere captures this hypocritical aspect of society through the relationships between the characters in the play; specifically, the nanve Orgon's relationships with most of the other characters.
The first such relationship is established between Orgon and Tartuffe. Orgon, takes Tartuffe into his home, thinking him to be a man of piety and virtue. Orgon has reached middle age, and it seems that he is looking for something stable in his life, which he believes he has found in Tartuffe. He bases his opinion of Tartuffe on Tartuffe's supposed demonstration of "warmth and zeal" in his prayers, offering him holy water, and giving to the poor. From this encounter, Orgon concludes that Tartuffe is a good man. Tartuffe immediately becomes Orgon's first priority, spoiling him with "such tenderness a mistress would be satisfied with less."
We immediately learn, however that Tartuffe is none other than a pure hypocrite. He gains influence over Orgon, then begins to exert his power and take advantage of him. Tartuffe even attempts to have an affair with Orgon's wife, but is actually finally caught in this by Orgon, who realizes then what an impostor Tartuffe truly is, and ex
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