Molière: Tartuffe

From one day to the next Orgon is engulfed by a religious fervour, and welcomes into his house the impoverished Tartuffe, whom he regards as a saint, in order that he might live his life according to Tartuffe’s lifestyle and ideas, and to force this onto his family, too. Orgon so much wants to chain the newcomer to himself that is willing to give him his daughter’s hand. With his abuses and hypocrisy, Tartuffe manages to evoke the dislike of the whole family; what is more, he has plans to seduce his host’s wife. Just that Orgon is witness to this skullduggery. But by the time the penny drops, it is too late: he has transferred his entire estate to Tartuffe, who thus gains the upper hand and chases Orgon and his whole family out of the house. In vain do we wait for the customary resolution: Róbert Alföldi returns to the original version of the play, which concludes with Tartuffe’s victory.