logo

33 pages 1 hour read

Molière

Tartuffe

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1664

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Acts I-IIChapter Summaries & Analyses

Act I, Scene 1 Summary

The play opens in Paris, outside Orgon’s home. Elmire, Orgon’s wife, converses with his mother, Madame Pernelle, who is in a hurry to leave because she cannot endure the “perfect pandemonium” of her son’s house. Madame Pernelle has a stern reproach for all present, including Elmire, Elmire’s maid Dorine, Elmire’s brother Cleante, and Elmire’s stepchildren Damis and Mariane. Damis is the first to mention “Tartuffe,” the name of Orgon’s friend who is staying with them. This mention elicits a positive exclamation from Madame Pernelle and negative feelings from Dorine and Damis. Dorine labels Tartuffe “nothing but a hypocrite” (15), while Madame Pernelle describes him as a “holy man.” Dorine laments how Tartuffe does not let anyone visit the house and suggests that he is jealous of Elmire. Madame Pernelle takes Tartuffe’s side, suggesting that it’s best to remain private as neighbors gossip about what they see. She leaves the house with her servant Flipotte, exclaiming that she “shan’t set foot in it again” (20).

Act I, Scene 2 Summary

Scene 2 begins when all of the characters except Cleante and Dorine leave. (A character’s entrance or exit marking the ending of one scene and the beginning of another is known as a French scene.) Cleante and Dorine talk about Madame Pernelle’s admonishment of them. Cleante says, “She got angry with us all for nothing!” (21). Dorine provides some background information on Orgon, the master of the house. Orgon received praise for his “courage in service of his king” (22), but recently he has become obsessed with Tartuffe, as he gives him the seat at the head of the table and “calls him brother” (22). Dorine goes on to say that Tartuffe is aware that he is fooling Orgon, putting on the charm to get money from him. She also mentions how unpleasant Tartuffe is to the rest of the family, preaching and throwing out their favorite items because they are unholy.

Act I, Scene 3 Summary

Elmire, Mariane, and Damis join Cleante and Dorine in this scene. Only Elmire and Cleante speak. Elmire remarks how fortunate it was for Cleante to miss Madame Pernelle’s final speech and mentions that Orgon has returned home and that she should see him.

Act I, Scene 4 Summary

Cleante, Damis, and Dorine remain. Damis tells Cleante that he wishes he would speak to Orgon about Mariane because he believes Tartuffe is against her marriage to Valère and is trying to convince Orgon to feel the same. 

Act I, Scene 5 Summary

Orgon arrives and asks how things have been since he’s been absent the past two days. A comedic exchange between Dorine and Orgon ensues in which she talks about how ill his wife has been, but Orgon only seems interested in Tartuffe’s well-being. When Dorine tells Orgon that Tartuffe ate heartily and slept well, Orgon’s repeated response is “Poor Man!” Dorine ends the scene telling Orgon that she will let Elmire know how happy he is “at her recovery” (29).

Act I, Scene 6 Summary

Orgon and Cleante talk candidly in this scene. Cleante begins to tell Orgon that Dorine was just making fun of Orgon because of his “infatuation” with Tartuffe. Orgon defends Tartuffe and how he has changed his life—how Tartuffe taught him “to have no love for anything on earth” (30). Orgon goes on to talk of how he met Tartuffe at the church, where he prayed loudly and gave Orgon holy water. Orgon even talks about how interested Tartuffe is in his wife—he “seems six times as jealous as I am myself” (32). Cleante is struck by the absurdity of Orgon’s words, but Orgon only excuses Cleante of being an atheist. Cleante then excuses Orgon of not being able to see the difference between “hypocrisy and genuine devoutness” (33). Cleante goes on to speak a lengthy monologue about true faith and how he prefers to model those who do not need to make a showy display of their faith. Orgon is ready to leave after Cleante’s lecture, but Cleante reminds Orgon of his promise to allow Mariane to marry Valère. Orgon’s vague responses about doing “the will of Heaven” make Cleante nervous (40). At the end of Act I, Cleante plans to let Valère know what is happening.

Act II, Scene 1 Summary

Orgon and Mariane open Act II. Orgon says that he has a secret for Mariane. He looks in the closet to make sure no one is spying. Orgon expresses his love for Mariane and asks her to prove she’s worthy by doing as he wishes. Orgon follows up with asking how she feels about Tartuffe. She responds with “I’ll say of him—anything you please” (42).

Act II, Scene 2 Summary

Dorine enters and silently stands behind Orgon, who asks Mariane if she would take Tartuffe as her husband. At first, Mariane thinks she misunderstands her father, she then asks him why he would want her to pretend to like the idea of marrying Tartuffe. Orgon states that Tartuffe and Mariane must wed. Then, he spots Dorine behind him. Dorine admits that she heard a rumor of this match but thought it was “utter stuff and nonsense” (45). Dorine and Orgon banter about whether Orgon is serious about the proposal. Dorine tells Orgon that Mariane is “not cut out for bigot’s meat” (47). Orgon responds that Tartuffe is impoverished and he plans to help him get back on his feet. Dorine does not believe Tartuffe’s story and thinks if he were so holy then he would not need to boast about it. She goes on to say that a woman marrying someone she despises could end badly. Orgon tells Mariane that he knows best and the two will live like “turtle-doves.” He tells Dorine to leave, but Dorine continues to interject when Orgon talks to his daughter. Orgon tells Dorine to be quiet. A comedic moment ensues when Orgon talks to his daughter about Tartuffe’s virtues and Dorine interrupts when he turns away. Orgon eventually confronts Dorine, who acts innocently. Orgon is ready to slap Dorine if she speaks again, but she doesn’t, even when Orgon asks if she has anything to say. Orgon finalizes his intent on Mariane marrying Tartuffe. At that, Dorine says she would never marry “such a creature” and runs away with Orgon chasing her and trying to slap her (57). Orgon decides to go for a walk to calm his nerves.

Act II, Scene 3 Summary

With Orgon gone, Dorine asks Mariane if she has gone mad. Mariane replies that she must obey her father. Dorine encourages Mariane to stand up for herself and questions whether she really loves Valère. Mariane is disappointed that Dorine doubts her. Dorine wants to know what Mariane is going to do about Tartuffe if she loves Valère so much. Mariane replies, “To kill myself, if it is forced upon me” (60). Dorine’s sarcasm appears as she begins to speak fondly of a marriage to Tartuffe. Mariane can bear no more and asks Dorine to help her get out of marrying Tartuffe. Dorine continues her routine and tells Mariane to be obedient and marry Tartuffe so she can become “Tartuffified.” Mariane becomes despondent at Dorine’s taunting and starts to walk away. Dorine calls her back and tells her they will find a way out of this Tartuffe arrangement.

Act II, Scene 4 Summary

Valère arrives and tells Dorine and Mariane that he has just heard of Mariane’s betrothal to Tartuffe. Mariane explains that her father intends for the marriage to happen. Valère wants to know Mariane’s take on the matter, and she expresses her hesitation but asks Valère for his advice. He replies that she should marry Tartuffe, as he’s “a splendid choice” (69). Valère is clearly upset and questions Mariane’s love for him. She tells him that because he advises her to marry Tartuffe, she shall. Dorine detects the lovers’ quarrel and chooses to stand back to see how it plays out between them. Valère suggests that he will find another lover and that he must now tend to his wounded pride as a scorned lover. He feels he cannot bear to watch Mariane be with another man. Valère keeps trying to leave but comes back, hoping Mariane has called for him. She has not. Therefore, he gives one final farewell and turns to leave when Dorine intervenes.

Both Valère and Mariane refuse to give in, claiming the other does not want them. Dorine has to pull both of them physically back together. She admonishes them both for the way they just spoke to one another. Dorine puts both of their hands together and reminds them of how much they love each other, then tells them they need to develop a plan to stop Mariane’s marriage to Tartuffe. She tells Mariane to pretend to consent to the marriage and find ways to delay the nuptials with sudden illness or “omens.” She then tells Valère that Orgon needs to remember his promise to him. Dorine wants to get Elmire and Cleante on their side, too. Valère and Mariane have a moment of lovers’ talk, but Dorine tells them to quit their chattering, as they should not be seen together. She pushes the lovers in opposite directions.

Acts I-II Analysis

The first two acts set up a hyperbolic world, providing a clear comedic foundation. Examples of character extremity include Orgon’s obsession with Tartuffe and Tartuffe’s showy piety, which constitute the root problems of the play, with the other characters fixing the chaos that erupts from them. For example, when Orgon returns home, Dorine updates him about his wife’s illness, and Orgon repeatedly asks, “And how about Tartuffe?” (27-28). Dorine plays along with his questioning, sarcastically ending the scene with “I’ll go straightaway and inform my mistress how pleased you are at her recovery” (29). Dorine has to smooth over the fact that Orgon is more concerned about Tartuffe’s health than his wife’s illness.

Character exaggeration is a feature of Commedia dell’arte, a scripted and improvised comedic artform originating in 16th-century Italy, which would have influenced Molière. In particular, the use of stock, or stereotypical, characters popular in Commedia are present in this play. For instance, Orgon is the foolish old man, Dorine is the wise-cracking servant, and Mariane and Valère are the young lovers. By focusing on particular types, the play takes a clear stance on extremity, most articulately expressed through Cleante’s monologues. In Act I, Cleante directly addresses Orgon with the core problem or theme of the play: “Will you find no difference between hypocrisy and genuine devoutness?” (33). Another influence from Commedia dell’arte is the use of slapstick—a term that refers to an actual device with two wooden slats that one actor used to strike another, resulting in a comical sound. Act II, Scene 2 is chockfull of comedic moments when Orgon tells Mariane to marry Tartuffe with Dorine standing behind and mocking him.

Another influence on Molière’s work was the French Neoclassical style, originating in 16th-century France, which praised the elements of language and looked to ancient Greek and Roman theatrical traditions on how to model contemporary plays, including the use of verse, a clear delineation between comedy and tragedy, adherence to verisimilitude (depiction of reality), and the three unities of time (24 hours), place (one location), and action (one major plot). Tartuffe is a comedy (exaggerated characters, happy ending) that takes place in Orgon’s home within one day with a focus on the fallout of Orgon’s obsession with an overly pious hypocrite (though the subplot of Mariane and Valère is also present). The French-language play would have originally consisted of a consistent poetic scheme, which varies in translated English versions. The poetic quality emphasizes the playful language of the characters. Speaking of Madame Pernelle, Cleante says, “I won’t escort her down/For fear she might fall foul of me again/The good old lady” (21). The alliteration, or repetition of consonant sounds, in “fall” and “foul” suggests the unpleasant emotions Cleante feels for Madame’s behavior at the start of the play.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text