Molire's Tartuffe has long been considered a masterpiece of French Literature for its powerful social commentary, finely sculptured characters and its presentation of moral theme. While Tartuffe stands soundly on its own merits, its curiosity and impact for audiences both within its own period and for contemporary productions are heightened by the history surrounding its original presentation.Tartuffe was written and produced in a sensitive time for a sensitive audience. King Louis XIV sat upon a throne made uneasy with the plotting and dissent of multiple and powerful factions. The self-styled "Sun King", King Louis XIV inherited a throne at five that he would not truly rule until he was 22 when, after the death of his Prime Minister, Cardinal Mazarin, he announced the formation of a Council of Ministers to advise him. Even after the formation of this council, King Louis XIV still found himself forced into constant appeasement of the factions surrounding him. Those factions, especially those factions controlled by the Queen Mother and the ministers of his Council, would prove a near insurmountable obstacle in the efforts of Molire to produce Tartuffe. Clustered around King Louis XIV were religious and political alliances, the seeds of which were sown during the reign of King Louis XIII. In various corners sat the aforementioned Catholic Advocacy (including the Society of the Holy Sacrament and the Jansenists of Port Royal), the Queen Mother, and the Protestant population at large. As the "Most Christian King", Louis struggled to balance the needs of the Church with what he thought to be in the best interests of France. Unfortunately for Molire, when it came to theatre, the needs of the Church under Archbishop Hardouin de Prfixe were quite limited.The first three acts of Tartuffe were presented to Louis XIV on May 12, 1664 and before the play had even ended the Society of the Holy Sacrament, with the support of the Queen Mother,...
