Tartuffe · Character

Tartuffe

A pious fraud who turns every kindness into leverage, Tartuffe trades on Orgon's worshipful trust while quietly reaching for his wife's fingertips.

major

Also known as Mr. Tartuffe, Mister Tartuffe

First appearance: tartuffe

As a major figure in Tartuffe, Tartuffe is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

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Tartuffe enters the household as a beggar turned spiritual adviser, and by Act I his influence over Orgon has already reshaped the family's plans and affections. His genius is a kind of double speech: to Orgon he is all humility and self-abasement, but alone with Elmire he presses her hand, strokes her lace, and murmurs that Heaven's charms shine in her face. That gap between the kneeling penitent and the scheming guest is the engine of the play's early and middle acts.

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

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Character Web

11 connections

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

Relationship types

Psychological
Other

Character groups

Main Dramatis Personae
Protagonist

+6 more in the full Character Web

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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…

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Relationships

Orgon
psychological · positive
Orgon is completely infatuated and manipulated by Tartuffe, treating him as a spiritual… How this plays out →
Elmire
psychological · negative
Elmire
psychological · negative
Orgon
psychological · positive
Orgon is completely infatuated and manipulated by Tartuffe, treating him as a spiritual… How this plays out →

Orgon
Orgon is completely infatuated and manipulated by Tartuffe, treating him as a spiritual guide while ignoring his family.
Elmire
Elmire is the target of Tartuffe's lecherous advances, which she uses to trap him and reveal his hypocrisy.
Elmire
Elmire is the target of Tartuffe's lecherous advances, which she uses to trap him and reveal his hypocrisy.
Orgon
Orgon is completely infatuated and manipulated by Tartuffe, treating him as a spiritual guide while ignoring his family.

Relationship notes

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

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