The brother of Elmire (and brother-in-law of Orgon), Cléante represents the height of reason and good sense. Throughout the play he attempts to counsel his brother-in-law against Tartuffe, but is inevitably ignored or even scolded. He eventually aids the rest of the family in coming together against the deceitful hypocrite.
Cléante Quotes in Tartuffe
The Tartuffe quotes below are all either spoken by Cléante or refer to Cléante. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Harvest Books edition of Tartuffe published in 1992.
Act 1, Scene 5
Quotes
How do you fail to see it, may I ask?
Is not a face quite different than a mask?
Cannot sincerity and cunning art,
Reality and semblance, be told apart?
There’s just one insight I would dare to claim:
I know that true and false are not the same;
And just as there is nothing I more revere
Than a soul whose faith is steadfast and sincere,
Nothing that I more cherish and admire
Than honest zeal and true religious fire,
So there is nothing that I find more base
Than specious piety’s dishonest face—
Related Symbols:
The Catholic Church
Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
Act 5, Scene 1
Quotes
Orgon: Enough, by God! I’m through with pious men:
Henceforth I’ll hate the whole false brotherhood,
And persecute them worse than Satan could.
Cléante: Ah, there you go—extravagant as ever!
Why can you not be rational? You never
Manage to take the middle course, it seems,
But jump, instead, between absurd extremes.
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Tartuffe LitChart as a printable PDF.
Cléante Character Timeline in Tartuffe
The timeline below shows where the character Cléante appears in Tartuffe. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1, Scene 1
...and daughter, Damis and Mariane; their stepmother and Orgon’s second wife, Elmire; and Elmire’s brother, Cléante.
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...for entertaining too many callers and caring too much about her appearance. She even tells Cléante that he is too worldly, and should not be allowed in the house. Each character...
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...gossips about Elmire; Madame Pernelle believes such ostentatiously moral people to be truly virtuous, while Cléante and Dorine assert that they are hypocrites like Tartuffe, using excessive shows of faith to...
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Frustrated by her relatives (particularly Cléante, who is laughing at her), Madame Pernelle takes her leave—though not before slapping the long-suffering...
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Act 1, Scene 2
Dorine and Cléante stay behind in order to avoid Madame Pernelle. They discuss their frustrations with her, as...
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Act 1, Scene 3
Hearing Orgon, all exit except for Cléante and Dorine.
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Act 1, Scene 4
Orgon enters, and Cléante attempts to greet him. Orgon, however, interrupts his brother-in-law in order to ask Dorine how...
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Act 1, Scene 5
Cléante, appalled by what he’s just witnessed, attempts to reason with Orgon, and to warn him...
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Accused of impiety by Orgon, Cléante explains the difference between hypocrisy and honesty, asserting that men often fail to listen to...
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Cléante cautiously asks Orgon if he is indeed postponing his daughter Mariane’s marriage to her beloved,...
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Act 4, Scene 1
Time jumps forward, and the next act opens with Cléante telling Tartuffe that the whole town is talking about Orgon’s fight with Damis.
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Cléante asserts that, no matter who is in the wrong, it would be Christian of Tartuffe...
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Cléante turns the conversation towards Orgon’s decision to give Tartuffe his entire estate, telling the hypocrite...
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Not at all deceived by Tartuffe’s claim, Cléante reprimands him, saying that Damis should have been given the chance to use his wealth...
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Tartuffe makes an excuse, saying that he must go pray, and swiftly exits. A frustrated Cléante is left alone onstage.
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Act 4, Scene 2
As soon as Tartuffe exits, Elmire, Mariane, and Dorine enter, and Dorine begs Cléante’s assistance, telling him that Mariane’s heart will break if she must marry Tartuffe. Hearing Orgon...
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Act 4, Scene 3
Dorine and Cléante each try to intervene, but Orgon will not even let them speak.
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Elmire asks Dorine to bring in Tartuffe, while sending away Cléante and Mariane. Although Dorine warns her mistress that Tartuffe is devious, Elmire is not worried....
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Act 5, Scene 1
Act 5 opens a short time later, with Cléante trying to calm down Orgon, who is extremely upset about the previously mentioned strong-box. He...
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...He resolves to hate all holy men and “to persecute them worse than Satan could.” Cléante responds by begging Orgon for moderation, telling him that he should attempt to take a...
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Act 5, Scene 2
...returns to his father’s side, begging to be allowed to kill Tartuffe for Orgon’s sake. Cléante scolds him as well, telling his young nephew that he, like his father, must learn...
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Act 5, Scene 3
Cléante reminds Orgon that they are wasting time, and that they must figure out how to...
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Act 5, Scene 4
...morning to leave. Orgon, Damis, and even Dorine are furious, threatening Loyal with bodily harm. Cléante attempts to maintain order as Loyal exits.
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Act 5, Scene 5
...treachery and, as Orgon was before, is “thunderstruck.” Dorine reacts sarcastically. Orgon scolds her, but Cléante and Elmire intervene and urge the patriarch to decide on a course of action.
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Act 5, Scene 6
...way to arrest Orgon…led, of course, by Tartuffe. He urges Orgon to flee, as does Cléante.
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...Tartuffe can pervert such a sacred symbol and use it for his own purposes, while Cléante attempts to argue with the hypocrite, but to no avail.
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The family is relieved; as the women praise God, Cléante stops Orgon from insulting Tartuffe, telling him that it is undignified to do so, and...
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