Please answer both parts and see further instructions and additional assignment information in the document entitled theatre assignment directions.
Part 1: 2-3 pages
After watching the lecture, what are your thoughts on why France so strongly implemented the ideals of Neoclassicism? What purpose did it serve? Were these just art nerds or was there more to it than that?
Part 2: 3-4 pages
There are three parts here:
1. As mentioned in my thoughts on Tartuffe, this play was met with severe criticism and was censored due to its perceived attack on the Church. Find another instance in literature, theatre, film, or fine art where a work was met by criticism for its perceived intent and was faced with censorship. Detail the example and explain the story and its significance.
2. We shouldn’t forget that this play is a comedy and very funny. There is a lot of humor in the wordplay that would inspire Oscar Wilde (merely look at the way in which Orgon’s mother in the first scene of the play takes apart every member of the family) and there is bawdy sexual humor, such as between Orgon’s wife and Tartuffe in the famous scene with Orgon hiding under the table. Find three instances in the play where you really see the humor shining through. Analyze why it is funny.
They say comedy is harder to do than tragedy. It can also be hard to spot when you are reading. This will be the challenge. Look for those crass moments, the irreverent take on religion and authority, and witty wordplay. If there is one thing that I like to impart to students, it is that comedy isn’t just meant to be funny, it is societal critique and meant as a corrective. Hopefully that will help with your analysis.
3. Pair some of the characters in the play to their equivalent in commedia dell’arte.
