1. Is Tartuffe in fact anti-religious, or does it only attack corruptions of religion?
I would not say that Tartuffe is anti-religious, but rather a indirect, sarcastic way of informal writing towards religious systems. Mainly targeting the corruptions of the religious sectors. Hypocrisy was the main topic, this was found in the main leaders of the church. Just like any system having a hypocrite, as a leader will put the system into shambles. I think what is happening in the script is a true comical reflection of the somewhat growing flawed systems that we have in our society today. I think this sort of like the last one where we talked about politics. It has that same feel to it where it is up in the air and depends on how you perceive the information.
2. In what respects is Hugo’s Satan a heroic figure? How does Hugo’s account differ from Dante’s?
In Hugo’s Satan I am torn between yes and no because there are both similarities and differences. In Hugo’s Satan it is about an angel who lost its wings and has fallen to the “dark side’ where as in Dante’s Satan it starts from the decent to Hell. They both show characteristics of the “heroic journey’ but do not follow the same paths along the way. When comparing the two stories I will have to say that I have a neutral feeling on Hugo’s Satan being heroic or not.
3. Discuss and compare the images in any two poems assigned for this week.
In the comparison of the two poems “A Pine is Standing Lonely’ by Heine and “The Infinite’ by Leopardi I found two poems that were full of loneliness and a sense of adventure. In the poem by Leopardi, we find a man who is upon a hill that has treated him well. He is comfortable there yet he looks out to the sky and wants to reach new limits, he wants his “heart on the edge of fear.’ He wants adventure and a new destination. This is also seen in “A Pine is Standing Lonely,’ a sad, cold, snow blanketed, pine tree dreams of a warm sunny place as a new adventure, a new destination where his solitude can continue.
I agree with you in that Tartuffe is how you perceived the information. In all types of societies and disciplines, there is always hypocrites, and one cannot stereotype.
There is definitely a snide, bitter sense to Moliere’s writing style. Considering he had to rewrite the ending to make the play seem more pro-monarchy, I wonder how much the good religious characters are there to present religion in a good light, and how much they’re there to cover Moliere’s political butt.