Controversy in French Drama Also by Julia Prest Monograph Theatre under Louis XIV: Cross-C asting and the Performance of Gen- der in Drama, Ballet and Opera, 2013 Theatre under Louis XIV: Cross-C asting and the Performance of Gen- der in Drama, Ballet and Opera, 2006 Critical Editions “La Devineresse ou les faux enchantemens” de Thomas Corneille et Jean Donneau de Visé, ed. Julia Prest, 2007 Molière: “Le Mariage forcé,” ed. Julia Prest, Textes Littéraires, 1999 Edited Volume Corporeal Practices: (Re)figuring the Body in French Studies, ed. Julia Prest and Hannah Thompson, 2000 Controversy in French Drama Molière’s Tartuffe and the Struggle for Influence Julia Prest CONTROVERSY IN FRENCH DRAMA: MOLIÈRE’S TARTUFFE AND THE STRUGGLE FOR INFLUENCE Copyright © Julia Prest 2014. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-1-137-34399-4 All rights reserved. First published in 2014 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN® in the United States—a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-46594-1 ISBN 978-1-137-34400-7 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/9781137344007 Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress. A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by Scribe Inc. First edition: January 2014 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Roy This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix A Note on Translations xi Introduction 1 1 The Struggle for Influence: I. The Stakes and Their Protagonists 7 2 What Is a Faux Dévot? I. The Hypocrite 35 3 What Is a Faux Dévot? II. The Zealot 75 4 What Is a Vrai Dévot and Is He a Véritable Homme de Bien? 107 5 The Struggle for Influence: II. Tartuffe in an Age of Absolutism 137 Conclusion 191 Notes 199 Bibliography 229 Index 241 This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments This book has been a long time in the making, and numerous people have helped it along its way. These include my colleagues and friends at Yale University, where the project was begun, and those at the Uni- versity of St Andrews, where it was completed: my heartfelt thanks to all of you. I am especially grateful to Roy Dilley and Nick Hammond, who read and commented on a draft of the manuscript from their respective and complementary perspectives; to Sarah Townshend, who ably checked numerous references, proofread the manuscript, and found the fabulous image that appears on the cover; to Angela Konrad of Trinity Western University, who tracked down and made available a high-q uality version of that image; to Dana Kostroun, who helped me get to grips with Jansenism and who read and com- mented on Chapter 5; to Russell Goulbourne, who is always ready to respond to any query, however obscure, that I can throw at him; and to Dave Evans and Sam Bootle, who scrutinized and improved upon my translations. Finally, I would like to thank Erica Buchman and Robyn Curtis of Palgrave for their patience, good humor, and support throughout the process.