In literature, deception can provide motivation for the characters, provide comedy, play a part in the advancement of plot or exist as a sub-theme. The works considered in our studies thus far provide prime examples of the use of deception in the aforementioned ways. This essay will focus on the act or acts of deception in Tartuffe by Molière, Phaedra by Racine, and The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais.
In Molière’s Tartuffe, the primary action of the play is focused upon the deception of Orgon as performed by Tartuffe. Tartuffe is a hypocritically pious Christian much like the televangelists of the present day. His nature is best illustrated in scene two of act three with:
Hang up my hair-shirt, put my scourge in place,
And pray, Laurent, for Heaven’s perpetual grace.
I’m going to the prison now, to share
My last few coins with the poor wretches there.
This statement, made for the benefit of Dorine, illustrates Tartuffe’s hypocritical nature. Tartuffe’s religious piety is much like his hair-s…
Essay About Love in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Confusing Love in The Great Gatsby Webster defines love as an ardent affection for someone or thing. Love is a mysterious topic within The Great Gatsby. The majority of the characters in the story claim to love someone, but they either lack the knowledge of the true meaning of love or they just have no conscience. The characters in the story are mostly laid back, and they act like nothing they due has any wrong to it at all. Each character has a different perspective on love. Some do not have it at all, some think they have it, and only a couple truly do have it. The first character introduced in the story is Nick Carraway, the distant cousin of Daisy Buchanan. Nick is a mysterious character within the story. He seems content with what he does and what he has. He does not need all of the fame and fortune that is so important to all of the other characters. There are many critics that believe that Nick’s character was indeed a homosexual. There main reason for thinking this is because there are numerous occasions in the book where Nick cold of had Jordan Baker, but he always withdrew and kept his distance. Nick Carraway did not need love to live his life nor did he want love during this stage in his life. The next character introduced was Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s husband. Tom was a wealthy and arrogant man who liked to throw his weight around. Tom viewed his beautiful wife Daisy as a possession rather than a soul mate. She was just there to make him look even better than he already did. Tom claimed that he loved Daisy throughout the book, but in his heart he did not love anyone. Throughout their entire marriage, Tom was having an affair with Myrtle Wilson. Everyone in town knew and I expect Daisy did also, but she just could not bring herself to divorce Tom. Daisy was a loving and trustworthy wife to Tom, right? Wrong. She was just as deceitful as Tom but she was much more discrete about her flings. She was dating Gatsby at the same time that she was married to Tom. Daisy was good hearted, but if she really cared about Gatsby or Tom, she would have never married Tom. She did love Gatsby, she just did not know how to show it.