How Does Moliere Use Satire In Tartuffe

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The Enlightenment Period, known as the Age of Reason, was an influential movement, “commencing roughly with the English Revolution in 1688 and ending with the French Revolution of 1789” (Enlightenment). During this period, people began to apply reason to all things, rather than purely believing in unproven theories and beliefs. The many philosophers and artists of the period are those who pushed for the philosophical and artistic movement. One writer in particular, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin [Moliere], wrote using satire within several of his plays; he wrote this way to indirectly make a mockery of government, social customs, and religious beliefs. Moliere is very famous for his play, “Tartuffe,” which is a satire that mirrors many of the beliefs and themes that …show more content…
Moliere, born into his family’s upholstery business, was given great opportunities. By 1631 his father “was able to purchase the office of upholsterer-in-ordinary to the King. This meant access to court society and a hereditary monopoly for his eldest son, Jean-Baptiste, who was accordingly groomed to hobnob with the aristocracy through an elite education, including law school” (Wilbur 199). Moliere was given opportunities that his grandfather and father did not have; not only did he acquire a striving business, but Moliere had access to the higher, elite, society. According to Richard Wilbur, Moliere’s “classical training at Jesuit College known for freethinking nurtured his independence along with his interest in drama” (199). After he graduated college, he took over his father’s upholstery business, but only for one short year. Shortly after one year, he decided to leave the family business and pursue his career in theater. Just two years after Moliere’s career move The Illustre Theatre, where he worked, was unable to compete with other local theaters, leaving the company bankrupt and putting Moliere in debtor’s
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