Orgon's Obsession in Moliere's Tartuffe

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Viewpoints Fall 2010
In Act IV, Elmire devises a plan in which Orgon will hide under a table while she and
Tartuffe have a conversation that will expose Tartuffe’s hypocrisy. It is the ultimate plan—one
based on the age-old adage that “seeing is believing”—to put a final stop to Orgon’s mad
obsession with the false fiend. With a little convincing, Elmire causes Tartuffe to come onto her
once again in a sexual advance, thereby proving that he is a fraud. However, in Act IV, Scene V,
Moliere’s humor is quite apparent as Elmire coughs several times, warning her husband that he
should come out of hiding immediately and reprimand Tartuffe. Because of his blind faith in
Tartuffe, though, Orgon still refuses to believe what he hears and does not come out after the
first or even second time his wife coughs. Tartuffe’s hypocrisy must be fully exposed in order
for Orgon to work his way out from under the table. When he finally comes out of hiding, he
exclaims, “That man’s a perfect monster, I must admit! I’m simply stunned. I can’t get over it”
(129).
Although the play focuses on Tartuffe’s deception of Orgon, Tartuffe greatly affects the
other characters of the play. Cleante, who represents the voice of rationality and reason
throughout the play, is constantly in a struggle to help Orgon come to his senses. In Scene 1,
Act IV, as Cleante talks with Tartuffe, Cleante uses logic to point out the hypocrisies of
Tartuffe’s actions. Cleante argues, “Your reasoning is badly warped and stretched, and these
excuses, Sir, are most far-fetched” (110). As Tartuffe tries to justify his taking Damis’s money
and estate, he expostulates, “Lest so much wealth fall into wicked hands, lest those to whom it
might descend in time turn it to purposes of sin and crime” (111). This quote, of course, is
extremely ironic: There can be no more wicked hands that the money could fall into than
Tartuffe’s. Cleante then reasons that Damis, being Orgon’s son, should be the first in control of
the family’s money, and also, points that it is not a pious action to be the cause of a son’s
disinheritance. Cleante advances the argument skillfully by evoking the principle of piety, “Does
true religion teach that lawful heirs may freely be deprived of what is theirs?” (112). Cleante’s
point is valid, especially given that Tartuffe has no claim to the family’s wealth and is merely a
stranger who manipulates those around him. Cleante’s logical reasoning proves to be
overwhelming, and consequently, Tartuffe interrupts him to say that he has “certain pious
duties to attend to” (112), thus leaving the scene. Tartuffe realizes that his scheme is in danger
and thus makes this hypocritical statement to escape the power of reason.
Through the character of Cleante, Moliere expresses his own view of true Christian
virtue as opposed to religious hypocrisy. Cleante explains to Orgon that many people lead lives
of virtue but they do not constantly need to prove to everyone how devout they are. He makes
the point that truly religious people do not make a big show, noting, “True piety isn’t hard to
recognize…their virtue is acknowledged; who could doubt it? But you won’t hear them beat the
drum about it. They’re never ostentatious, never vain, and their religion’s moderate and
humane” (29). Towards the end of the play, Cleante demonstrates his deep devotion to