The final act of Tartuffe delivers a surprising reversal: just as Orgon is about to lose his home, an officer of the king arrives to arrest Tartuffe and restore the family's property. Students often react strongly to this resolution, calling it either brilliant or lazy. Because the ending is so debatable, it makes an excellent subject for argumentative essays that call for clear thinking and careful evidence.

The grading task is to distinguish between opinion and argument. A student who writes that the ending feels unrealistic has expressed a reaction, while a student who explains that the ending relies on outside intervention because no character within the family has the power to stop Tartuffe has made a claim that can be supported. The difference lies in the reasoning that connects the response to the text.

A strong essay should also account for the play's own logic. Comedies of the period often end with the restoration of order, and the king's role can be read as both a convention and a pointed political statement. Students who recognize these possibilities show that they are reading the ending in the context of the whole play rather than reacting to it in isolation.

Common Positions and Their Pitfalls

Most essays fall into one of three positions. Some argue that the ending undermines the satire by letting the authorities solve a problem the family created, others argue that it completes the satire by praising a king who sees clearly where the household could not, and a third group treats the ending as a deliberate contrast to the earlier acts. Each position can be defended, but each has its own typical weaknesses.

• Position one: the ending weakens the play by removing agency from the family
• Position two: the ending completes the satire by rewarding legitimate authority
• Position three: the ending exposes tension between the play's criticism of authority and its praise of the king
• Check that the essay cites Act 5 details, not just the general idea of a rescue
• Check that the essay explains why the position matters to the play's meaning

Evidence From Act 5

Strong essays cite specific moments from the final act, including the arrival of the officer, the speech that praises the king's discernment, and the reversal of Tartuffe's claim to the house. These details show how Molière constructs the resolution and what it emphasizes. Papers that only mention the rescue in general terms rarely persuade, since the reader cannot see how the student reached the interpretation.

It is also worth checking whether students recognize how earlier acts prepare the ending. The disinheritance of Damis, the transfer of the house, and the box of incriminating papers all set up the crisis that the final act resolves. An essay that traces these connections demonstrates a coherent understanding of the play's structure.

Giving Feedback on Opinion-Based Essays

Feedback on opinion-based essays should avoid signaling the teacher's own view of the ending. Instead, comments should test the strength of the reasoning by asking what evidence would challenge the claim. A note such as "How would a reader who disagrees respond to your point about the officer's speech?" pushes students to anticipate objections without directing them toward a conclusion.

Students who strongly dislike the ending sometimes write dismissively, which can weaken the tone of an otherwise thoughtful paper. Feedback can encourage a measured voice that acknowledges what the ending accomplishes even while criticizing it. This habit of fair-minded engagement is a valuable skill that carries over to argumentative writing in every discipline.

Scoring Argumentative Essays Fairly

A rubric for these essays should reward the strength of the argument, the quality of evidence, and the treatment of counterarguments, regardless of the position taken. Graders who are aware of their own leanings should double-check that they are not favoring essays that agree with their view. Reading a few essays blind to the position and scoring purely on reasoning can help maintain fairness.

AI grading support can apply the same criteria to every essay and highlight where evidence is thin or counterarguments are missing. Because the tool does not have a personal opinion about the ending, it can provide a helpful check against unconscious bias. The teacher then reviews the results and exercises judgment on the more subtle aspects of interpretation.