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Act Two

Summary: Scene I

Orgon summons Mariane for a private conversation. After checking that no one is eavesdropping, Orgon compliments Mariane for being “a sweet girl who’s tractable and mild[.]” Orgon then asks her to agree to marry Tartuffe. Mariane can’t bring herself to say that she loves Tartuffe because that would be a lie. Orgon overrules Mariane’s hesitancy and orders Mariane to accept Tartuffe because it is Orgon’s wish.

Summary: Scene II

Dorine, Mariane’s maid, has been eavesdropping on Orgon and Mariane’s conversation. Dorine enters and immediately confronts Orgon. For the remainder of the scene, Mariane does not speak, though both Orgon and Dorine sometimes address remarks to her. Dorine challenges Orgon fearlessly. First, she accuses him of playing a practical joke. When Orgon insists his idea is not a hoax, Dorine reminds him that Tartuffe has no wealth or rank. Orgon responds that Tartuffe lost his fortune because he cared only for Heaven. Besides, Orgon explains that he intends to help Tartuffe regain his status as a gentleman. Next, Dorine argues that Mariane and Tartuffe are completely incompatible. In fact, because Mariane hates Tartuffe, Dorine argues that Mariane is very likely to be unfaithful to him and Orgon would be responsible for her sin. Orgon tries to explain to Mariane why he is backing out of his promise to let her marry Valère. Orgon has heard rumors of Valère gambling and Valère is seldom seen in church. Dorine sneers at the idea of Tartuffe, reminds Orgon of his honor, and ignores his commands to be silent by continuing to protest the idea of Mariane marrying Tartuffe. Orgon tries to slap Dorine but misses. Then he stalks out of the room to calm himself with a walk.

Summary: Scene III

Dorine tries to persuade Mariane to resist Orgon’s power and refuse to marry Tartuffe. Mariane can’t find the strength to oppose Orgon’s will in spite of her love for Valère. Mariane declares that she will kill herself rather than marry Tartuffe. Dorine scoffs at this idea and tries to get Mariane to stop whining and acquire a firm heart. Mariane fears that defying Orgon will make her seem unmaidenly. Dorine responds by sarcastically extolling the delights of Tartuffe’s physical appearance as well as the pleasures of living among his rustic relatives. Mariane begs Dorine for advice on how to avoid such a dreadful fate. The scene ends as Valère approaches.

Summary: Scene IV

Valère makes his first onstage appearance. Valère asks Mariane if it’s true that she will marry Tartuffe. Mariane responds that she doesn’t know. Her hesitancy offends Valère, and a long argument between the two follows. Valère acts out his jealousy by trying to make Mariane jealous of an imaginary rival. Mariane then wonders if Valère really loves her. Valère works himself into anger over being rejected, while Mariane keeps threatening to obey Orgon. Finally, Dorine steps in. She declares an armistice between the warring couple and induces them to admit how much they love each other. Dorine then presents a plan for delaying Mariane’s wedding to Tartuffe in order to put in place a plan to stop the marriage altogether. Dorine also asks Valère to seek his friends’ support and promises to stir Elmire and Damis into action. As the act ends, Mariane and Valère declare their love until Dorine pulls them apart and pushes them in different directions.

Analysis: Act Two

Act Two portrays conflicts between father and daughter, between servant and master, and between young lovers. This act also demonstrates a larger conflict in values, between Orgon’s duty to love and nurture his family and his desire to please Tartuffe. Scene I hints at how and why Tartuffe wins. Orgon has convinced himself that Tartuffe is “the very worthiest of men” in order to be able to use Tartuffe in defense of his own parental authority. In Scene II, Dorine rushes to Mariane’s defense and boldly defies and contradicts Orgon. Her fierce attacks target Tartuffe as well as Orgon, reminding the audience of the central conflict of the play.

Mariane and Valère are the quarreling young lovers. Mariane is almost a parody of a pure maiden. In Act One, Scene I, Madame Pernelle refers to Mariane as “so shy, so innocent, and so demure.” The events in Act Two exaggerate Mariane’s qualities for satiric effect. In Scene I, Mariane tells her father she will say whatever he wishes her to. She stalls and pretends not to understand Orgon in order to avoid contradicting him. After Dorine enters the argument in Scene II, Mariane says nothing at all. Much of the humor in Scene II comes from Mariane’s silence as Dorine and Orgon argue about Mariane’s future. Dorine repeatedly interrupts Orgon as he tries to speak to Mariane. Orgon has to deflect his attention from persuading Mariane to getting rid of Dorine. By Scene III, Mariane has worked herself into suicidal despair over the prospect of resisting her father, a maidenly attitude that Dorine treats with scorn. In Scene IV, Valère is self-absorbed, unreasonably jealous, too quick to take offense, and apparently oblivious to Mariane’s feelings. Valère and Mariane follow their passions, as their stock characters always do, by manufacturing misunderstandings, misreading each other’s motives, and settling their quarrel with kisses.

Act Two shows Tartuffe trying to move from unwelcome guest to family member and clearly establishes Dorine as the leader of the family campaign to get rid of Tartuffe. In Act One, Dorine calls Tartuffe a fraud and mocks Orgon for believing in him. In Act Two, Dorine recognizes the dire need for an actual plan. Then she immediately begins issuing orders to put her plan into action. Dorine’s plan shows how much the family depends on her practical thinking. Dorine composes a list of excuses that Mariane can use to delay the wedding to Tartuffe in case Mariane feels too helpless to think for herself. She reminds Valère that he has a social network to which he can appeal. Dorine also expresses confidence in her own ability to convince Damis and Elmire. Dorine emerges as a formidable foe for Tartuffe, leaving the audience eager to discover the details of her plan and to watch her confrontations with the foe, Tartuffe. Dorine’s action at the end of Act Two, separating Valère and Mariane, reminds the audience that it is Dorine’s job to chaperone Mariane. The gesture also leaves the audience wondering how the love between Mariane and Valère will manage to conquer all obstacles in their way.

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