The plays of Tartuffe and Faust don't seem to have much in common at first glance. Tartuffe is about the downfall of a hypocrite, leaving the main characters better off than they were at the beginning, while Faust is a tragedy that grows worse by the moment. These two plays nevertheless share a common thread: the sexual desire of the characters. This sexual desire is the driving force behind the plot of these two plays. The characters of Tartuffe and Faust describe how far humanity will go to achieve the object of its desire, and how their actions will lead to its downfall. Tartuffe's strong desire to have Elmire is only introduced in Act 3, and soon overshadowed by his plans to have Elmire. take the domain of Orgon. Despite this, it's a pivotal scene that reveals the true nature of his character. Until now he is considered a hypocrite only because he is controlling. The reader can only draw conclusions about Tartuffe from what the other characters say about him. It will be necessary to wait for his scene with Elmire so that a real judgment can be passed on him. This is where his hypocrisy is revealed. He confesses his love to Elmire in a way that makes him look absolutely ridiculous. He relates that he is quite passionate in his sexual desire for Elmire. He says he first found these feelings sinful and afraid of them, but now he sees his passion as truth and beauty. She reacts quite surprised by saying: “But I’m surprised that you want the things you want. It seems that your heart needs to speak – it lives in the chest of one who proclaims himself pious” (Tartuffe, act 3.3, lines 91-93.) Elmire relays what the reader is thinking at this point. No truly righteous man would try to seduce his master's wife. This is where Ta...... middle of paper..., his desires push him to make a deal with Mephistopheles. Which starts the whole story. His sexual relationship with Gretchen leads to the death of his mother, his conviction as a whore and murderer, as well as the death of his brother. Unlike Tartuffe, Faust suffers no consequences from the despair he causes in Gretchen. Despite their differences, both characters have a common theme. They both go to ridiculous lengths to achieve their desires, and those desires get them and others into trouble. In Tartuffe's case, it is his advances towards Elmire that make him seem like a hypocrite to Orgon. Faust pursues Gretchen in order to achieve sexual fulfillment, whatever the cost. He's ruining this girl's life by going after what he wants. Both characters' sexual desires play an important role and the consequences are not good for either of them..