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Cléante is an example of the prosaic moralist, a stock character in comedy. He’s a sociable young man who thinks of himself as a philosopher, and as such, he tries to project a serious image. His exhortations are virtuous, moderate, and reasonable, but they are also filled with clichés and platitudes. Cléante’s speeches function to present the serious themes of the play, which does not keep Cléante from being something of a bore.

Cléante aligns himself with his sister Elmire to oppose the schemes of Tartuffe and to break Tartuffe’s hold on Orgon’s mind. Cléante tries to persuade Orgon through appeals to reason, moderation, morality, and Christian teaching, only to discover that an unreasonable, overly emotional person cannot process logical thinking. Cléante speaks for the forces of virtue and moderation but also demonstrates how powerless those forces are against the machinations of a villain as scheming and heartless as Tartuffe, who recognizes no moral boundaries.

Even after Tartuffe has taken everything Orgon owns, Cléante keeps urging caution and compromise. He takes action at the last desperate moment and urges Tartuffe to flee, but by then it’s too late. As Tartuffe orders Orgon’s arrest, Cléante once again challenges Tartuffe with hard logic. When Tartuffe is arrested instead, Cléante persuades Orgon not to take further revenge.

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