Tartuffe · Character

Orgon

The master of the house who has handed his conscience, his daughter, and nearly his estate to a man he cannot see through.

major

Also known as Orgon Brother, Scene VII Orgon, Scene V Orgon, Scene IV Orgon, Orgon Argas, Orgon Damis, Orgon Mother

First appearance: tartuffe

See Orgon in tartuffe Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Orgon is a wealthy bourgeois whose devotion to Tartuffe has become the organizing principle of his household, overriding his wife's judgment, his son's protests, and his daughter's wishes. His flaw is not stupidity so much as a craving for pious certainty: he wants a spiritual authority he can obey without question, and Tartuffe supplies it. When the play finally forces him to witness the truth, his rage at being duped is as excessive as his former credulity, and the box he entrusted to Tartuffe becomes the measure of how much he has risked.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Orgon sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Orgon in tartuffe

Character Web

12 connections

A slice of how Orgon sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Family

Character groups

Main Dramatis Personae
Protagonist

+7 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because Orgon’s emotional and psychological peak—his blind, tearful rage aga…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

Dorine
professional · negative
Madame Pernelle
family · positive
Elmire
family · ambivalent
Damis
family · negative
Mr. Loyal
professional · negative
Cléante
family · ambivalent
Tartuffe
psychological · positive
Valère
family · negative
Dorine
professional · negative
Damis
family · negative
Dorine
professional · negative
Madame Pernelle
family · positive

Dorine
Dorine is Orgon's outspoken maid who constantly challenges his authority and blind devotion to Tartuffe.
Madame Pernelle
Madame Pernelle is Orgon's mother, and she strongly supports his infatuation with Tartuffe, sharing his blind faith.
Elmire
Elmire is Orgon's wife, who tries to reason with him and expose Tartuffe's hypocrisy to save her marriage.
Damis
Damis is Orgon's hot-headed son, who openly opposes Tartuffe and feels betrayed by his father's favoritism.
Mr. Loyal
Mr. Loyal is a bailiff who serves Orgon with an eviction notice, acting on Tartuffe's behalf.
Cléante
Cléante is Orgon's brother-in-law, who repeatedly tries to reason with him about Tartuffe's manipulation.
Tartuffe
Orgon is completely infatuated and manipulated by Tartuffe, treating him as a spiritual guide while ignoring his family.
Valère
Orgon is Valère's prospective father-in-law, but he breaks off the engagement to marry Mariane to Tartuffe.
Dorine
Dorine is Orgon's outspoken maid who constantly challenges his authority and blind devotion to Tartuffe.
Damis
Damis is Orgon's hot-headed son, who openly opposes Tartuffe and feels betrayed by his father's favoritism.
Dorine
Dorine is Orgon's outspoken maid who constantly challenges his authority and blind devotion to Tartuffe.
Madame Pernelle
Madame Pernelle is Orgon's mother, and she strongly supports his infatuation with Tartuffe, sharing his blind faith.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Orgon in tartuffe