Tartuffe is an excellent example of neoclassical drama for its strict adherence to the guidelines established in Aristotle's Poetics, its use of character structure, and its incorporation of common neoclassical ideas involving: reason, rational thinking and logical problem solving. During the early 17th century neoclassical thought began to dominate the scene in France. In the field of theatre, this meant that neoclassical writers began to look back to the ideals and beliefs of classical times, accentuating classical ideas of rational control and discipline. It was an era intrigued by regularity as ideas arising from this period insist on certain norms of behavior in society. Throughout the period, specific emphasis was placed on perspective and rational behavior (neoclassicism). Neoclassical writers emphasized the importance of Aristotle's poetics, as well as the unities of place, time, and action that they extracted from his works. In the Poetics, Aristotle sets out the six essential elements of tragedy: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle and song (McManus). Each of these components had some value to what Aristotle deemed a successful work, however, plot and character were deemed the most important. The first principle that Aristotle outlines in the Poetics is that of plot and, according to him, the most important. important feature in a play. He defines the plot as "the arrangement of events", meaning the structure of the work. Aristotle believes that the plot must be “a whole”, “complex”, “of a certain magnitude”, and must be “complete” having “unity of action” (McManus). Molière's Truffle responds perfectly to this criterion. The work is considered intact as... at the center of the paper... through what he or she revealed of universal human nature, rather than individual differences, forever changing French stage comedies. Works Cited Gainor, J. Ellen., Stanton B. Garner, and Martin Puchner. The Norton Anthology of Drama, abridged edition. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2010. Print.McManus, Barbara F. “Outline of Aristotle's Theory of Tragedy.” Notes on Aristotle's theory of tragedy. Network. December 14, 2013."Neoclassicism." A guide to the study of literature: a companion text for fundamental studies. Comp. Department of English Brooklyn College. 6th ed. Reference points of the literature. Brooklyn College. Network. December 9, 2013. Smithson, Isaiah. "The moral vision of Aristotle's poetics". Journal of the History of Ideas 44.1 (1983): 3-17. JSTOR. Network. 4 December. 2013. .