When reading great literary works such as the masterpieces of Shakespeare, Molière, or Wordsworth, one must read them as one would drink a glass of fine wine. One cannot merely guzzle it down like a cold soda; one must concentrate and savor it slowly, in order to fully appreciate its true essence. One will find in all great pieces of literature several common elements that illustrate why they are worthy of being called masterpieces: a sense of direction, a diction and a style, and most importantly, an underlying theme that if examined carefully can reveal many insights into the author's perceptions and even certain edifying truths. A great illustration of the importance of an underlying theme can be seen in Molière's Tartuffe and his use of eavesdropping.
             Before analyzing any specific passage in Tartuffe, let us first focus upon the context of 'listening in and overhearing' within the play. Once we have an adequate understanding of this, then we can examine why the concept of eavesdropping is so vital to this play. The play stresses the importance of listening in and overhearing either as a vehicle to uncover the truth, or as a mask to conceal the truth. Molière weaves these elements throughout his work in order to propel the action forward as well as to create tension. He also uses the concept of listening in and overhearing to examine the notions of illusion and deception and, as a result, compels the audience to explore one of the drama's most important themes: the discrepancy between appearance and reality. Listening in and overhearing play an integral role in this work, because even though Molière allows the antagonists to use manipulation and deception to attain their power and control, he gives the heroes a valuable arsenal of information through eavesdropping to counter the villains' attempts to mislead. It is with this awareness that we can begin to appreciate Moli&...