In many stories, there are characters that are heroic, passive, and even deceitful. Jean-Baptiste Paquelin’s (Moliere) play, “Tartuffe,” entertwine’s Dorine, Mariane, and Tartuffe, among others, in a twisted, deceitful tale of love. Mariane’s character, in particular, is the center of this story; everything seeming to revolve around her. Her character displays a timidness and passiveness, and a bit of deceitfulness throughout the story. Mariane’s father, Orgon, is arranging a marriage between her and the lying, deceitful Tartuffe. And of all people, Dorine is trying to help Mariane get out of this horrible situation and help her get married to her real fiancée, Valere. My view of Mariane, as well as Moliere’s view of her and how the other character’s view Mariane as someone who is passive and doesn’t stand up for herself, and is always by the way side.
Even though this story is named after the character Tartuffe, and although it heavily involves him and his hypocritical character, it also heavily involves Mariane. Because Orgon is trying to arrange the marriage between Tartuffe and Mariane, it seems as though the author doesn't have Mariane's character around as much as I had liked. I say this because Moliere doesn't seem to have Mariane talk about the marriage situation enough to give a good, decent explanation of how she feels about the arranged marriage. I also wished we had more of an explanation from Mariane’s feelings towards Tartuffe and his character and why she doesn't stand up to her father. She does answer a few of these questions but I felt they were heavily instigated by the other characters, which goes to show how she can be passive. I think Moliere could have either expanded her answers or added more clairity. Moliere even writes:
"Mariane: But my refusal will be seen as pride
And, worse, contempt. And I have to hide
My feelings for Valere, I must not show
That I'm in love at all. If people know,
Then all the modesty my sex is heir to
Will be gone. There's more: how can I bear to
Not be a proper daughter to my father?" (Pg. 162)
This passage, in my opinion, shows that Moliere has written his characters in a way that men are higher and better and more in charge of things than women; as if women have no rights to what they want in life. It also seems to say that women shouldn’t stand up to their fathers, or any man for that matter. Otherwise, if a woman like Mariane stands up to her father, she’d be considered “not a proper daughter.” It's as if Moliere is saying that Mariane's refusal to marry Tartuffe is a refusal of her pride (and her family’s pride, too) and can even be contempt, like back talking to her father and making their family look bad because she didn't listen to her father. Mariane also seems to be saying that by refusing to marry Tartuffe that she isn't being a "proper daughter to her father." Although many people want to make their family proud and be a proper daugher, it’d be better if Mariane stood up to her father and for who she really wants to be with instead of giving in to marrying Tartuffe.
I like Mariane's character a lot because many women, including myself, can relate to her on many levels. Aside from both of us being female, I can understand Mariane's struggle of wanting to be with Valere, whom she is in love with and already engaged to and the fact that her dad, Orgon, is trying to arrange a marriage between her and Tartuffe. Mariane confesses her love for Valere:
"Dorine: Let's think. All right?
Didn't Valerie propose the other night?
Do you or don't you love Valere?
Mariane: You know the answer, Dorine - that's unfair.
Just talking about it tears me apart.
I've said a hundred time, he has my heart.
I'm wild about him. I know. And I've told you." (Pg. 161)
It's obvious Mariane is in love with someone already and her family should honor and respect that, especially if Mariane and Valere both love each other and want to be married to each other. A little bit later, Mariane and Dorine talk about the "other wedding:"
"Dorine: So what about this other wedding?"
Mariane: I'll kill myself. That's what I've decided." (Pg. 162)
This part reminds me of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" love story, where they love each other so much, even though their love is forbidden and their families hate each other, but their love is so strong that they are willing to die for each other. As a woman, even as an independent human being, I wouldn't want to be told who I can and can't love nor who I have to marry, regardless of how my family helped that person out or what my family gave that person or even if that person was the richest, most handsome person in the world - we love who we love, and no one can change that.
In regards to how the other characters view Mariane, it’s Dorine who seems to care the most about Mariane. I got this impression because from the beginning she has tried to see, hear and understand Mariane's point of view and how Mariane feels about this arranged marriage. Dorine actually asks Mariane how se feels about the arranged marriage and seems to also agree with Mariane that Tartuffe isn't someone to marry, and that he isn't as great a person as Orgon makes him out to be. Dorine also understands that Mariane is in love with Valere and tries her hardest to persuade Orgon to let Mariane be with Valere.
Orgon, although he is Mariane's father, seems to think she isn't able to find a worthy man that suits her, hence why he tries arranging the marriage between her and Tartuffe. (I also strongly felt throughout the entire story that Orgon has strong feelings for Tartuffe, almost as if ORGON is the one whose in love with him.) Orgon, of all people, should want nothing but the best for his daughter. He should let her choose the man she really wants to be with. He should genuinely consider her point of view on the arranged marriage and respect her feelings. But yet again, this shows how women are passive and timid with men, and how they back down and do whatever the man says to do.
Mariane views herself as being loyal and obedient to her family, especially her father. She doesn't want to disobey his wishes of her getting married to Tartuffe, but it certainly doesn't make her happy. She doesn't stand up for herself, which she should do more often; so perhaps she thinks of herself as unworthy of being with the one person she really truly loves, which is Valere. I don't get the impression she thinks very highly of herself since, like I said, she doesn't stand up for herself, she doesn't speak up for herself, and she comes off as quiet and timid. It didn't even seem like she said as much as the other characters throughout the story.
Tartuffe’s character is very sketchy, and everyone knows it except Orgon. Everyone repeatedly tells Orgon how lying and deceitful Tartuffe is but Orgon always stands up for him. Dorine tries talking some sense into him; on page 158, she says,
“Dorine: Oh sir, don’t frown.
A smile is just a frown turned upside down.
Be happy, sir, because you’ve shared your scheme,
Even though it’s just a crazy dream.
Because, dear sir, your daughter is not meant
For this zealot – she’s too innocent.
She’d be alarmed by his robust desire
And question heaven’s sanction of this fire
And then the gossip! Your friends will talk a lot
Because you’re a man of wealth and he is not.
Could it be your reasoning has a flaw –
Choosing a beggar for a son-in-law?”
What’s obvious about this passage is that Dorine doesn’t agree with this arranged marriage and she knows that Mariane doesn’t agree with it either. Dorine also thinks that Tartuffe’s character and deameanor is too strong for Mariane, that he might take advantage of her – even in the bedroom with his “robust desire,” and that Mariane is “too innocent for that kind of indecency. It’s also obvious that Orgon took in Tartuffe, off the streets or whatever horrible place he used to live in, and gave him shelter, food, clothes, and now his daughter! Tartuffe was a poor beggar and Orgon wants to marry him off to his beautiful daughter who is too good for a “man” like Tartuffe. Dorine is worried what the other towns people will “gossip” about and gossip for their family doesn’t seem like a good thing.
I think Dorine is just reiterating to Orgon what a hypocrite and bad person Tartuffe really is. But Orgon is very jaded, and only seems to see what he wants to see, which is that Tartuffe is a good person and that he is loyal and not deceitful like everyone else is saying. Until, however, the end, when Tartuffe not only tries confessing his love for Elmire, but he also ends up taking their house, too, because Orgon was too trusting of Tartuffe.
This passage, in relation to the rest of the story, really shows what kinds of character Dorine, Orgon and Tartuffe are. Dorine, who is just a lady maid to Mariane, can see Tartuffe's real character, and she's just a maid! She can tell that Tartuffe takes advantage of others by being a deceitful, lying hypocrite. Dorine wants nothing but the best for Mariane, who is said to be married to Tartuffe, and obviously wants the best for the rest of the family, seeing as she said she doesn't want the town to "gossip" about Tartuffe going from a beggar to someone of wealth and importance. Tartuffe's character, like I've said, is downright awful. He's lying to everyone and trying to play them, even getting them to turn on each other. Why would you want someone like that in your family? Much less a "man" like that married to your daughter? Orgon is oblivious to Tartuffe and his real intentions. Orgon thinks so highly of Tartuffe that everyone else is struggling to get Orgon to see and hear the true ways of Tartuffe.
"Be happy, sir, because you've shared you scheme,
Even though it's just a crazy dream.
Because, dear sir, your daughter is not meant
For this zealot - she's too innocent.
She'd be alarmed by his robust desire."
I liked this because even though Orgon has shared his scheme, I think deep down, Dorine knows that Orgon will soon see Tartuffe's true character. Either way, she thinks it's a crazy idea, or "crazy dream" that Orgon thinks he can try to force Mariane to marry Tartuffe. Dorine seems to nicely say that his daughter is too good and too innocent for an incompetent idiot beggar like Tartuffe, and she can do so much better. I think her wording is the way it is because saying it this way to Orgon might change his mind and soften up about his precious daughter and really try to make her happy.
"And then the gossip! Your friends will talk a lot,
Because you're a man of wealth and he is not.
Could it be your reasoning has a flaw -
Choosing a beggar for a son-in-law?"
When I first read this part, I laughed out loud and even wrote on my book near this passage which read, "Why does wealth matter so much?" Why does wealth matter so much to some people? Like wealth makes them a better person? Or that because they are rich, they get more and deserve more than others. But after reading it a few times and thinking about Tartuffe's character, I have a feeling Dorine also wants to look out for the family's feelings of what other people might say about them having married in a beggar into their wealthy family. Perhaps the other people might think that they brought him in because they felt sorry for Tartuffe or that Tartuffe talked them into it, in a deceitful way.
Tartuffe's character is very deceitful and robust for a girl like Mariane; even the family is too good to have such an ungrateful person whom Orgon calls "brother." Thankfully Orgon was able to see Tartuffe’s true character; Mariane and Tartuffe ended up not getting married; and all seemed to settle down on this twisted deceitful love story.