Summary
Summary of Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A household shelters its own danger
A rich father brings a stranger into his Paris home and treats him as a saint. His wife, children, brother-in-law and maid see something very different: a fraud whose influence is taking over the household. The comedy turns on the gap between what the father believes and what everyone around him can see.
Molière laughs not only at the man performing holiness, but also at the man who welcomes the performance. Trust becomes dangerous when admiration leaves no room for judgment.
Key idea 2
The guest rules before he appears
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Key idea 3
Orgon mistakes attachment for faith
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Key idea 4
A father's devotion threatens young love
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Key idea 5
False humility defeats the plain truth
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Key idea 6
Goodness is measured by conduct
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Key idea 7
Comic form makes hypocrisy visible
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Key idea 8
Surrendered judgment gives deception its power
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
For anyone who enjoys sharp comedy, family quarrels and a good villain you love to hate, and for readers curious about French theatre.
What this book is
Tartuffe is a comedy in five acts, written in rhyming verse by Molière. That was the stage name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, the French actor, theatre manager and playwright who served the court of Louis XIV. The play was first shown before the king in 1664. It caused an uproar at once. Powerful religious figures felt it mocked them, and public performance was forbidden. Molière rewrote it and fought for it for years, and the public could finally see it in 1669.
What do you get from it? You get a Paris household in turmoil. A rich father has taken a stranger into his home and worships him as a saint. His wife, his children, his brother-in-law and his sharp-tongued maid can all see what the stranger is. The father cannot. The play laughs at the fraud, but it laughs just as hard at the man who feeds him. Let us begin with the house itself, and with the guest who has quietly taken it over.
In this summary
- 1A Stranger Has Taken the HouseFree
- 2Orgon Cares More for Tartuffe
- 3A Forced Marriage Splits the Lovers
- 4The Man Himself Finally Appears
- 5Faith Is Easy to Counterfeit
- 6A Comedy Built to Expose Fools
Key point 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.
Cléante, Orgon's brother-in-law, is the calm voice of reason. He tries to calm the quarrel, but Madame Pernelle does not listen. The audience has now heard the whole case against Tartuffe before the man has even walked on stage.
This is a clever way to start. Molière builds a picture of a man through the complaints of others, so we expect a monster, and we also learn who in the family can be trusted. By the end of the first act, we know the stakes. A house that was once cheerful is now ruled by one outsider, and its master is the only person who does not see him clearly.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
Why does Orgon become so vulnerable to Tartuffe?
Right. “Orgon wants a guide who will take away his doubts, and he hands over his judgment as well as his money.”Not quite. “Orgon wants a guide who will take away his doubts, and he hands over his judgment as well as his money.”
What happens when Damis reports Tartuffe's behaviour to Orgon?
Right. “Orgon drives Damis out of the house and takes away his inheritance.”Not quite. “Orgon drives Damis out of the house and takes away his inheritance.”
How does the play suggest we distinguish goodness from its performance?
Right. “Molière's answer is that you watch what a person does, not what he says.”Not quite. “Molière's answer is that you watch what a person does, not what he says.”
Questions about Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite
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.
Is Tartuffe hard to read?
No. It is a short play with clear characters and quick, funny scenes. Many English translations keep the rhyme, which sounds best read aloud.
What is the main message of Tartuffe?
The play warns that loud displays of virtue can hide greed, and that true goodness shows in kind actions. It also shows how easily people are fooled when they want to be.
