Play: Tartuffe (or The Impostor)

Overview
Tartuffe, first staged in 1664, is Molière's sharpest comedy of manners and a landmark satire of religious hypocrisy. The title character presents himself as a pious, devout man and insinuates himself into the household of the wealthy Orgon, who becomes blindly devoted to him. The play exposes how ostentatious sanctimony can conceal selfishness and vice, and how gullibility and deference to false authority can threaten family life and social order.
Molière blends witty dialogue, farcical situations, and moral argument in five acts written largely in alexandrine verse. Humor and irony carry the critique: characters repeatedly mistake appearance for truth, while a few voices of reason try to counterbalance the contagion of credulity that Tartuffe spreads through Orgon's house.

Major Characters
Orgon is the household head whose infatuation with Tartuffe blinds him to danger. His daughter Mariane is gentle and in love with Valère but faces the threat of being forced into marriage with Tartuffe to satisfy her father's misplaced reverence. Elmire, Orgon's sensible wife, combines dignity and resourcefulness, ultimately engineering Tartuffe's exposure.
Dorine, the quick-witted maid, and Cléante, a brotherly voice of moderation, supply comic energy and moral clarity. Damis, Orgon's hot-headed son, attempts to expose Tartuffe but suffers his father's disbelief. Madame Pernelle epitomizes unquestioning zealotry and initially defends Tartuffe to the household's frustration.

Plot
Orgon returns from a visit to Tartuffe convinced that the man is a paragon of virtue and invites him to move into the family home. Tartuffe exploits Orgon's trust, manipulating household affairs, receiving special favors, and insinuating himself into Orgon's decisions. When Orgon promises Tartuffe the hand of Mariane, the family is outraged because she loves Valère and will be ruined by the forced match.
Attempts to confront Tartuffe produce comic disaster: Damis bursts forth with accusations but is disbelieved and disinherited, while Dorine scolds and exposes Tartuffe's hypocrisy with sharp irony. Elmire devises a more cunning plan to reveal the impostor's true nature. She arranges a private meeting during which Tartuffe drops his sanctimonious mask and makes advances; Orgon hides and so hears the villainy for himself. The triumph is short-lived. Tartuffe, who by legal deceit has been trusted with Orgon's deed, turns the tables by producing the document that gives him control of Orgon's property and threatens to evict the family.
The crisis seems unstoppable until a royal officer appears with an order. The state intervenes, revealing that Tartuffe is a known criminal and notifying the household that the King has ordered his arrest and restored Orgon's rights. Order is reestablished and the family's rightful relationships are preserved.

Themes and Style
Religious hypocrisy is the central target: ostentation of piety serves as a mask for greed, lust, and ambition. Molière also examines authority and gullibility, showing how deference to ostensible sanctity can undermine reason and justice. The play champions common sense, moral moderation, and civic intervention against private fanaticism. Comic energy arises from sharp character contrasts, rapid repartee, and the collision between private folly and public power.
Molière's theatrical craft blends farce and satire; he uses irony, mistaken beliefs, and staged revelations to make moral points without pedantry. Cléante and Dorine articulate a humanist ethic that values moderation and ethical consistency over religious posturing.

Reception and Legacy
Tartuffe provoked scandal at its first performances and faced censorship and clerical opposition because it seemed to attack religion itself rather than specific abuses. The ensuing controversy tested the boundaries between theater, morality, and political authority and ended only when royal protection affirmed the playwright's right to stage the piece. The play's success secured Molière's reputation and ensured Tartuffe's place as a classic of French comedy.
Enduringly relevant, Tartuffe continues to be staged worldwide for its incisive comedy and its unflinching diagnosis of hypocrisy, reminding audiences that duplicity can thrive wherever piety is performed and power goes unquestioned.