His biting satire, witty dialogue, and irreverent staging have made
him a favorite with theatergoers for four centuries. This Norton
Critical Edition of Moliere s most controversial and most
often-performed play is based on Constance Congdon s acclaimed new
verse translation. It is accompanied by explanatory annotations and
nine illustrations of the seventeenth-century farce.
Backgrounds and Sources draws readers attention to the real-life
controversy Moliere faced following the opening of Tartuffe, which
was immediately banned by the Church. Both sides of the argument
surrounding Tartuffe are presented in contemporary documents
translated and annotated by Virginia Scott, among them Moliere s
three petitions to King Louis XIV, Pierre Roulle on the monarchy,
letters by Boileau and Charles Robinet, and Hardouin de Perefixe on
the law.
Assessments of Tartuffe as a production are given in seminal
reviews by Harold Clurman and John Peter. Constantin Stanislavsky
and Louis Jovet discuss the challenges they faced in preparing for
modern productions of Tartuffe.
From the wealth of critical commentary on Tartuffe both in the
United States and in France, the editors have chosen nine
interpretations focusing on the central issues of translation,
religion, social history, staging, and international adaptation.
Contributors include Nancy Senior, Emanuel S. Chill, Roger W.
Herzel, P. Munoz Simonds, Pamela Saur, William J. Beck, Mechele
Leon, Wilma Newberry, and Cheryl Kennedy McFarren.
A Chronology of Moliere s life and work and a Chronology are
included."