Mannerist comedy was a theatrical genre that flourished during the British Restoration period of the 17th century. These comedies tried to mock the upper social classes by exaggerating their habits and customs. The comedy of manners used stock characters who were representative of their social class to satirize their behavior. Many times, the people watching these comedies were the same people being satirized (Cash); furthermore, these performances were known for their sophisticated intellectual spirit and heavy use of dialogue. One of the most famous of these plays to appear in France, Tartuffe, mocked French aristocrats and their willingness to submit to the Roman Catholic Church. The comedy within the play comes from the character of Orgon's complete and utter obliviousness to Tartuffe's scheming but seemingly pious plans to steal all his riches (Baker). The play Tartuffe is one of the greatest examples of a comedy of manners in the history of the theatre, and when the actions and role of the character Orgon in the play are examined, we get a brilliant and satirical portrayal of the religious hypocrisy of the aristocracy and of blind trust in the Roman Catholic Church. revealed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Tartuffe, Orgon plays the role of the unsuspecting but extremely wealthy patron of the obviously and hilariously corrupt Tartuffe. Orgon's infinite gullibility in the face of shameless corruption is the main comic point of the play. Orgon foolishly allows the evil Truffle to remain in his family home, seduce his wife, and appropriate his fortunes while hopelessly deceiving himself about the rightness of his own actions. The characters around Orgon find this behavior quite at odds with his past self. The character Dorine describes Orgon as having "served his king with a wise and loyal heart, but has completely lost his senses since he fell under Tartuffe's infatuating spell" (Tartuffe Act 1 Scene II Verse 4). Orgon falls under Tartuffe's spell only after reaching middle age, in the hope that he can gain some sort of divine favor (Baker). This need to find redemption so late in his life leads Orgon to become a crazed religious fanatic overnight. He says of his family: "My mother, my children, my brother and my wife could die, and I would not feel a single moment of pain" (Tartuffe Act 1 Scene VI v. 21-22). This irrational behavior causes Orgon to overlook Tartuffe's crimes in order to gain merit in the afterlife. When Dorine tells Orgon about his wife's illness, Orgon replies, "Ah. And Tartuffe?" healthy and excellently nourished” (Tartufo Scene 1 Act V v. 12-15) Orgon responds by saying: “Poor boy”. This exchange should shock the audience, as Orgon is so under Tartuffe's spell that his wife's illness makes no sense to him. Tartuffe takes advantage of Orgon's willful blindness both by attempting to seduce his wife and by attempting to take all of his possessions. upon her death Orgon is vaguely aware that Tartuffe desires his wife, as he says: “He (Tartuffe) also has a great interest in my wife, he lets me know who is watching her and seems six times more jealous than me; (Tartuffe Act 1 Scene VI v. 46-48). Even when Orgon catches Tartuffe in the act of trying to seduce his wife, and Tartuffe confesses, “Yes, brother, I am a wicked man, I fear: a miserable sinner, all. depraved and twisted, the greatest villain who ever lived,” (Tartuffe Act III Scene VI v. 97) still doesn't believe him,”>.