Tartuffe

Orgon is the head of the household who has “proved his courage in service of the king; but now he’s like a man besotted, since he’s been so taken with his Tartuffe” (22). His besotted behavior makes him a buffoon, or a laughingstock, in his family, as he takes on the old fool role of Commedia dell’arte. In Act II, Scene 5, because he was gone for two days, Orgon inquiries about Tartuffe as one does a lover. Dorine interjects how Orgon’s actual wife is doing, though Orgon wants to know only of Tartuffe’s well-being.

Along with his gullibility, Orgon has a hot temper. He’s often on the verge of smacking his snarky maid. In Act III, when his son Damis tells Orgon of Tartuffe trying to seduce Elmire, Orgon won’t hear of it and immediately shuts down his son: “Off with you! Leave my house this instant, sirrah, and never dare set foot in it again” (107). Orgon is willing to disown his only son in favor of Tartuffe, a man he just met at the church.

As the protagonist of the play, Orgon goes on a classic journey of mental blindness to clarity when he finally hides under a table in Act IV to witness Tartuffe’s betrayal. At the end of the play, the prince rewards him with exoneration for his service to France, but, ultimately, the author rewards Orgon for his ability to perceive the truth about Tartuffe and to restrain himself from attacking Tartuffe as the officer escorts him out of the house.

Elmire is the wife of Orgon and stepmother to Mariane and Damis, whom she treats as her own flesh and blood. She takes much grief in this play from her mother-in-law, Madame Pernelle, who calls her house chaotic at the start of the play, and Orgon, who does not trust what she has to say about Tartuffe. Elmire tells Orgon in Act IV, “And quite too long you’ve branded me a liar” (123). However, Elmire perseveres to prove her story and to save Mariane from marrying Tartuffe. In a thoughtfully planned scheme, Elmire sacrifices her pride and briefly forgoes honesty to flirt with Tartuffe and, therefore, show Orgon the truth about Tartuffe’s motives. When Tartuffe wants an example of Elmire’s love, she has to ward off his advances without giving herself away. She quickly improvises to protect herself: “What! Must you go so fast?—and all at once exhaust the whole love of a woman’s heart?” (130).

Despite the challenges she faces, Elmire has a sense of humor. When Orgon takes a while to be convinced during Elmire’s flirtations with Tartuffe, she sarcastically says to Orgon, “Don’t go and credit things too lightly. No, let yourself be thoroughly convinced” (136). Elmire’s ability to take charge through her feisty words and deeds gives her the title of head of household, especially when her husband is unable to hold his own under the spell of Tartuffe. 

Cleante is Elmire’s brother and the voice of reason in the play. In Act I, Cleante lectures Orgon about the major theme of the play. He states, “There are false heroes—and false devotees; and as true heroes never are the ones who make much noise about their deeds of honor, just so true devotees, whom we should follow, are not the ones make so much vain show” (33). Orgon admits he appreciates Cleante’s advice even when he doesn’t want to take it. Orgon tells Cleante, “You are the only wise, the sole enlightened, the oracle, the Cato, of our age” (34). He alludes here to Roman philosopher Cato the Younger, who was known for his moral integrity during a corrupt time.

Throughout the play, Cleante provides advice and clarity when other characters do not act in the best interest of others or let their emotions overcome them. At the top of Act IV, he attempts to convince Tartuffe to help Orgon reconcile with his son Damis: “If you’ll take my advice, you’ll make it up, and not push matters to extremities” (114). The character Cleante counsels the most is Orgon, helping him to complete the character arc of his journey. At the end of the play, Cleante encourages him to transcend his rage against Tartuffe. “Brother, hold!—and don’t descend to such indignities, I beg you” (170). Instead of violence, Cleante promotes peace, advising Orgon to visit the prince and thank him for his kindness.

Damis is the hotheaded son of Orgon and loyal sister to Mariane. At the top of Act III, Damis emotionally utters, “If any reverence or power shall stop me, and if I don’t do straightway something desperate” (84), showing how angry he is at his father’s foolishness and how upset he is to see his sister so unhappy. As he does with Orgon, Cleante has to counsel Damis not to do anything drastic regarding Orgon’s mandate that Mariane must marry Tartuffe instead of her beloved Valère. Damis’s rage reaches its peak later in the act. He can’t help himself but hide in the closet when Elmire tries to talk to Tartuffe about not marrying Mariane. Instead, Damis witnesses Tartuffe’s advances toward Elmire. After the encounter, Elmire begs Damis not to tell Orgon about what transpired between her and Tartuffe, but Damis will “not be counselled” and tells Orgon what he thinks (100), getting himself kicked out of the house.

Throughout the play, Damis continues to play the role of hothead. When Mr. Loyal arrives with the notice to evict the family from their home by Tartuffe’s orders, Damis yells, “I can hardly restrain myself. My hands are itching to be at him” (159). The reasons for his hotheadedness usually come back to love for his family and upholding honor, as if he is only capable of showing these various emotions through the channel of anger.

Mariane is the sweet, chaste daughter of Orgon who is so willing to be obedient that she feels she has to go through with her father’s demand that she marry Tartuffe. She says to Dorine, “What can I do? My father is the master” (58). In the vein of the young lover characters in Commedia dell’arte, Mariane’s love consumes her, and the thought of being away from Valère makes her mad, a trope common in literature of the European Renaissance, including Romeo and Juliet 60 years prior. She says, “But no one save Valère shall ever have me” (82).

Act II prominently features Mariane and Valère’s romantic subplot. The two play as if they are angry at one another when, in reality, they miss each other and are angry at Orgon for arranging her new match to Tartuffe. Mariane relies on her confidante Dorine to hatch a plan and bring the two lovers to a reconciliation. Her happy future with Valère is only officially sealed at the very end of the play when Orgon deems it so. As a mirror to its times, the daughter must receive approval from the father to proceed to the next phase of her life.