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Tartuffe Gender Roles

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Tartuffe Gender Roles
Each of the woman from the plays has different personalities, weakness, position and of the importance. The woman come from different background and context, job titles of being a maid to becoming a Queen. Also, by portraying these females show how life were for them during their time. What type of power did they have over there male counterparts and could they voice their opinion. Jocasta was the queen of Thebes and the wife of King Laius. Jocasta and Laius received a prophecy that lauis were to be kill by his own son. This what cause Jocasta and Laius to pierce and bind their only child ankles and abandon him on the mountainside to die. Jocasta were often criticized for her distrust in the prophecies, and did not believe in the prophecy receive about their son. Jocasta thought that her child, she abandon were dead and her husband kill by thieves. Eventhough, in the play Jocasta express disapproval of the prophecy, but she pray to Apollo, giving offerings, and asking for protection. Jocasta compare to other characters in the play is seen as a hypocrite, and it seems she's not easily …show more content…
In Tartuffe, Elmire character is resourceful and intelligent woman much like Dorine. Elmire is clearly shown to be mentally superior to her husband and becomes frustrated with him, of his gullibility concerning with Tartuffe, saying bluntly that" Orgons blindness take her breath away" (Moliere). When Orgon refuses to acknowledge that Tartuffe could possibly commit treacherous intentions, Elmire takes the initiative and convince her "hard headed" husband to hide while she manipulates Tartuffe into admitting his wicked intentions (Moliere). The fact that Elmire is forced to manipulate her husband decision rather than make her own, however, is a clear illustration of the subordinate status of women in eighteen century. Elmire character is much like Dorin: strong and

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