Comparison of Moliere and Joyce’s Depiction of family
Moliere and Joyce are two playwrights who created plays that revolved around families. The plays were titled “Tartuffe” and “The Dead” respectively. In Tartuffe, the play features a hypocritical man who masquerades as a pious pauper out to lead his hosts to heaven, a plot that almost succeeds thanks to their gullibility. “The dead” on the other hand is focused on a man of Irish descent and his quest to live up to the expectations of his family members while at the same time struggling to keep his insecurities under control. Through their plays, these authors make a spirited effort at depicting family life albeit using different angles.
According to Moliere, the woes of a family begin when its members allow outside influence without taking time to consider the authenticity or otherwise of such forces. Orgon though wealthy was also very gullible and this provided Tartuffe with an ample opportunity to weave his way into the household and have access to normally restricted aspects of the family such as the daughter’s hand in marriage. (Moliere, 28) In Joyce’s view however, the troubles a family experiences come from within it and more specifically from undue pressure being placed upon the members of the family by each other. This leads them to engage in self-destructive actions all in the name of saving face while their actions are in reality counter-productive. Gabriel for instance lives a highly inhibited life and this stops him from being true to himself. (Joyce, 15)
Another element that Joyce brings out through her play is the fact that the state of family can be used as a pointer or reference point for what is going in in the larger society. Though her play is focused on Gabriel and his extended family, it is clear that the moods presented by the members of this family are also manifested by the Irish community that lives on the Island. This is to say that they are their own enemies so to say since they are the very same people opposed to Irish Nationalism as well as well as the people who wish for the restoration of Irish culture. Gabriel himself seems to do the very same thing by making a deliberate effort of ‘hiding’ his brother’s drunkenness from the guests. His aunt’s open disdain for him is seen in her statement, “”Now, isn’t he a terrible fellow. Moliere on the other hand uses the family to illustrate the relationship between the congregation and the clergy in that desperation for authentic religious leadership has the potential to lead the worshippers of a particular faith down the wrong path into the hands of hypocrites who seek to use their followers for their own benefits. Despite his outward show, Tartuffe had no real intention of improving the spiritual lives of his victims. One of his many efforts to present himself holy is captured in the following quote, “Before you speak, pray take this handkerchief”
In conclusion it can be stated that both of these playwrights believe that the institution of a family is the best instrument that can be used to satirically represent issues facing a given society because it is indeed the basic unit of any community. The reason why this is made possible is the fact that placing focus on a specific family will inadvertently direct the audience’s attention towards their relationships and this makes it an appropriate vehicle for communicating contentious issues that will often have proponents and opponents.
Works Cited
Molière, J: une aventure théâtralé. Tartuffe, Don Juan, Le misanthrope. Gallimard, 1963.
Joyce, J. The dead. Coyote Canyon Press, 2008.
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