Orgon's Obsession in Moliere's Tartuffe

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Viewpoints Fall 2010
In contrast to Cleante, Madame Pernelle, Orgon’s mother, represents irrationality with
an unforgiving and judgmental attitude disguised as religious morality. In the opening scene of
the play, she leaves Orgon’s home because she does not approve of the household members’
negative view of Tartuffe. Madame Pernelle asserts angrily, “And [Tartuffe] practices precisely
what he preaches. He’s a fine man, and should be listened to. I will not hear him mocked by
fools like you” (10). She also criticizes everyone for their “promiscuous entertaining” which she
views as immoral although the audience understands that this is just normal socialization. Even
towards the end of the play when Orgon tells her that Tartuffe has tried to seduce his wife,
Madame Pernelle does not believe him and still insists that Tartuffe is a good religious man. As
is this case with Orgon, the final antidote to unreason is not reason itself but seeing the truth
first-hand. It is only when Tartuffe has taken Orgon’s property and tries to have him arrested
that Madame Pernelle finally comprehends the despicable character that Tartuffe really is.
Although Madame Pernelle is not proactively evil, she enables Tartuffe to successfully deceive
her son.
Two other victims of Tartuffe’s hypocritical actions include Mariane and Valere, lovers
who struggle with their relationship due to Orgon’s deception and his breaking off of their
marriage. At one point, Mariane is so horrified by the idea of having to marry Tartuffe that she
tells Dorine, “I’ll kill myself, if I’m forced to wed that man” (54). Near the end of the play, Valere
courageously does everything in his power to save Orgon from being arrested by bringing him a
carriage and money with which to escape. Although Orgon is eventually cleared of the charges
and does not need Valere’s help, he is extremely grateful and makes the announcement that he
will arrange Valere’s marriage to Mariane. Here we can see that Valere’s true friendship and
loyalty are contrasted with the false friendship of Tartuffe. Furthermore, Valere’s authentic and
admirable love for Mariane contrasts with Tartuffe’s lust for Elmire, which leads to his ultimate
downfall.
A number of critics have discussed the unusual role of the King in the play as a center of
correct authority within the larger treatment of reason and irrationality. For instance, in his
1955 article “Moliere and the Historian of French Society,” Leon Bernard states,
The heroes of tragedy, Moliere said, could be drawn according to the fancy of the
playwright, but the writer of comedy must be close to life. ‘The purpose of comedy,’
he has one of his characters say, ‘is to represent all the defects of men and
particularly those of the present age.’ No class, no profession was spared in Moliere’s
plays; only the person of the King was sacrosanct (Bernard 530).
The character of the King is vital to the resolution of this play, although he is not a speaking
character or a visible presence on stage. Just when Orgon is about to be arrested, a gentleman