The theme of money is the essential subject of Tartuffe by Moliere and A Doll’s House by Ibsen. In the plays, money is the factor that grants power over the other people and freedom of choice and behavior; the absence of them places restraints in all aspects of life. In light of this, it is significant how different persons act aiming to possess money. The comparison of two characters, Tartuffe and Nora, from Moliere’s and Ibsen’s plays, respectively, seems to be particularly representative. In this essay, it will be argued that, although both Tartuffe and Nora are accused of hypocrisy while possessing money, the roots of unfair actions in their cases are entirely different.
The similarity between the two characters is evident, as both of them have a lack of financial resources and are obliged to seek them out. The actions committed by them are considered “hypocrisy,” which provided the reason for their accusation. In Moliere’s play, Damis states at the end that Tartuffe’s “hypocrisy and insolence” infuriated him and “have made trouble in the family” (Moliere, 2009, p. 68). In A Doll’s House, Torvald blames Nora at the end: “You who were my pride and joy, a hypocrite! A liar! A criminal!” (Ibsen, 1998, p. 58). Thus, both the characters are accused of illegal actions in possession of money.
However, the reasons for those acts are different in the two cases, and this is the point of contrast between Tartuffe and Nora. At the beginning of Ibsen’s play, Nora discusses her problem of the past openly in a conversation with her friend, Mrs. Linde. She describes the first years after her marriage with Torvald, remembering his illness due to excessive work. At that point, Nora had no other choice than illegally borrowing money for his treatment in Italy in order to save his life. The young lady did not inform her husband about it; instead, she was working hard to return the debt (Ibsen, 1998). It has been done, according to Nora, to make her husband’s life better and because she could not “let the children go badly dressed” (Ibsen, 1998, p. 17). Instead, in Moliere’s play, Tartuffe never discloses his motives. Instead, he overemphasizes his poverty, along with a fake image of generosity: “If someone comes to see me, tell that I have gone to visit those in prison, to distribute the little alms money that I have” (Moliere, 2009, p. 61). Nora is silent about her actions, while Tartuffe demonstratively depicts his position of being poor.
There is one more detail that is different between Tartuffe and Nora and manifests itself in the real motivation for their actions. When Tartuffe’s hypocrisy is disclosed, he states that he has a “weapon” against the family. As it appears, he knows about the box with the documents about the illegal escape of a family friend, which serves as the basis for his immoral actions (Moliere, 2009). He immediately presents it to the authorities, causing the arrest of the family. In contrast, Nora, after the unjust accusation of her husband, decides to leave without any counter-argument to her husband’s words. She realizes that her sacrifice to the husband and his wealth meant nothing for him. Society’s only impression of her was formed by her illegal borrowing of money.
As is has been demonstrated, the theme of money plays a crucial role in Tartuffe by Moliere and A Doll’s House by Ibsen. The characters of both plays have similarities in that the insufficiency of money provides a motive for their actions. However, the underlying reasons for their behavior differ in both cases. While Nora is driven by a sincere dedication to her family, Tartuffe’s conduct is based on selfishness, greed, and lust.
References
Ibsen, H. (1998). A doll’s house. Dramatists Play Service.
Moliere. (2009). Tartuffe and the Misanthrope. Hackett Publishing Company.