ABSTRACT This article argues that Molière’s Le Tartuffe ou l’imposteur has much in common with the biblical Book of Esther. Adopting the mythocritique theoretical perspective, the paper first demonstrates that both narratives unfold through a similar story featuring the psychological domination of a villain over a powerful man; the concoction of a secret plot by the villain; its discovery through a counter-plot; and its thwarting. In both cases, the traitors and their plots are discovered in a similar scene in which both deceived patrons see their former confidant lusting after their wives. Only then do they realize the extent of the villain’s plot: the villain’s desire to have sex with their wives symbolizes his willingness to usurp their patron’s position and assets. This paper also presents an analogy between the characters: Ahassuerus corresponds to Orgon, Haman to Tartuffe, Esther refers to Elmire, and Mordechai to Cléante. Finally, the paper shows that this parallel emphasizes the political dimension of the play and explains its Deus ex machina and its relevance to the historical context.

中文翻译：

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莫里哀的 Le Tartuffe Ou l'imposteur 作为以斯帖记的另一种虚构

摘要 本文认为，莫里哀的《Le Tartuffe ou l'imposteur》与圣经中的以斯帖记有很多共同之处。本文采用神话批评的理论视角，首先论证了两种叙事都通过一个类似的故事展开，该故事以恶棍对有权势的人的心理支配为特征；反派策划的秘密阴谋；它是通过反阴谋发现的；和它的阻挠。在这两种情况下，叛徒和他们的阴谋都是在一个相似的场景中被发现的，在这个场景中，两个受骗的顾客都看到他们的前知己对他们的妻子有好感。只有这样，他们才意识到反派的阴谋有多大：反派想要与妻子发生性关系，象征着他愿意篡夺赞助人的地位和资产。本文还给出了人物之间的类比：Ahassuerus对应Orgon，Haman对应Tartuffe，Esther对应Elmire，Mordechai对应Cléante。最后，本文表明这种平行关系强调了该剧的政治维度，并解释了它的 Deus ex machina 及其与历史背景的相关性。