2 h 2 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 50 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 50 pagesAbout this book
What if everyone in your house sees through a fraud—except the person who holds all the power?
In Molière’s Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite, a wealthy Parisian welcomes a supposedly holy man into his home. Orgon trusts Tartuffe more than his own family. His wife Elmire sees the danger, and the sharp-tongued maid Dorine refuses to stay quiet. Yet Orgon is ready to put his wealth, household and daughter’s future in this stranger’s hands.
Mariane loves Valère, but her father wants her to marry Tartuffe instead. Family quarrels turn urgent as a guest’s false virtue threatens to govern everyone’s life. This five-act comedy in rhyming verse asks how goodness differs from a convincing performance. Its laughter cuts both ways: at the man who deceives and at the man determined to believe him.
What you’ll discover
- A household at odds Enter the opening family quarrel, where anger reveals a home already divided over its guest.
- Dorine speaks her mind Meet a quick-witted maid who challenges folly and works to protect two lovers.
- A villain worth watching Watch Tartuffe turn a show of holiness into a claim on comfort, money and power.
- Faith without the show Hear Cléante argue for true faith while false piety wins Orgon’s trust.
- Verse with a sting Enjoy the fast, balanced rhythm of rhyming couplets as Molière exposes human folly.
Is it for you?
This is for anyone who enjoys sharp comedy, family quarrels and a good villain you love to hate, and for readers curious about French theatre. If you want a deep psychological drama, its stylised characters may feel less suited.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A Stranger Has Taken the House
- Orgon Cares More for Tartuffe
- A Forced Marriage Splits the Lovers
- The Man Himself Finally Appears
- Faith Is Easy to Counterfeit
- A Comedy Built to Expose Fools
Who’s who
- OrgonA rich Parisian householder who is blindly devoted to Tartuffe and wants to give him his daughter and his trust.
- TartuffeA smooth, falsely pious guest who has made himself master of the house and wants comfort, money and power.
- ElmireOrgon's wife, clever and poised, who sees through Tartuffe and wants to protect her family without open war.
- DorineMariane's quick-witted maid, who says what everyone thinks and works to save the lovers from a forced marriage.
- MarianeOrgon's gentle daughter, in love with Valère but too timid to defy her father's wish.
- DamisOrgon's hot-tempered son, who despises Tartuffe and wants to expose him.
- CléanteOrgon's brother-in-law, a calm voice of reason who argues for true faith over show.
- ValèreMariane's suitor, proud and quick to take offence, who hopes to marry her as promised.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 2 h 2 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 50 pages: 5,95 USD when you start free, 12,95 USD on its own.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 50 pages: 12,95 USD when you start free, 19,95 USD on its own.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: 0,14 USD a day, then 0,27 USD a day, never raised. Or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite
by Molière· 1669
A father trusts a false holy man over his family.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: Español
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A Stranger Has Taken the House
The play opens in the house of Orgon, a wealthy Parisian, in a scene of family anger. Madame Pernelle, Orgon's mother, is leaving in a fury. She scolds everyone around her. She scolds her granddaughter Mariane for being sly, her grandson Damis for being rude, and the maid Dorine for talking too much. Only one person in the house earns her praise, a holy man named Tartuffe.
The family answers her one by one. Damis says he cannot bear the man, who tells everyone how to live. Dorine says the household has been turned upside down since Tartuffe arrived. He criticises the visitors, the games, the dress and the laughter. Yet he eats the best food and takes the best seat.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
Molière
1622–1673 · French playwright and actor
Molière was the stage name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, a French playwright and actor born in Paris in 1622. He toured France with a theatre company before returning to Paris in 1658. He wrote comedies, including Tartuffe, The Miser, and The Imaginary Invalid. He died in Paris in 1673.
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy just the printed book?
Yes. The paperback costs 12,95 USD on its own. Start free and you pay the cost of printing: 5,95 USD for this paperback, and any other book at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is Tartuffe about?
It is a comedy about a rich man named Orgon who is fooled by a falsely pious guest, Tartuffe. The family tries to open Orgon's eyes while the fraud tightens his grip on the household.
Why was Tartuffe banned?
Powerful religious figures in Paris felt the play mocked genuine faith. After its first showing in 1664, public performance was forbidden. Molière revised it and defended it, and it was finally allowed in 1669.
What does the word Tartuffe mean?
It has become a name for a hypocrite, especially someone who pretends to be devout while acting selfishly. The word is used in French and English because of this play.
Popular in poetry and plays
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
