Objectives

• Analyse how Molière uses comic dramatic irony in Acts I–V to expose the gap between appearance and reality.
• Identify and explain how Tartuffe's language in Act III constructs a false religious identity, selecting specific lines as evidence.
• Evaluate how Orgon's obedience to Tartuffe in Act II functions as a satire of blind faith and patriarchal authority.
• Analyse how Elmire's strategy in Act IV Scene 5 demonstrates female agency operating within, and subverting, a patriarchal structure.
• Write a fully evidenced analytical essay arguing a clear thesis about how Molière presents deception as a vehicle for social and political critique across the play.
• Compare the function of Dorine and Cléante as voices of reason, explaining how each challenges Tartuffe's influence through different rhetorical modes.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Dorine, Madame Pernelle and the Comedy of Unmasking in Act I

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Without opening the play, jot down three things that come to mind when you hear the word 'hypocrite.' After that, read Act I, Scene 1, lines 1–70 (Madame Pernelle's opening tirade) and write one sentence about whom she is defending and what might make that situation humorous.

   Teacher input

   Model close reading on Act I, Scene 1, focusing on Dorine's interjections against Madame Pernelle — particularly the moment where Dorine calls Tartuffe a 'pauper' and Madame Pernelle responds that he is a 'good man'. Explore how Molière places the truth in the mouth of a servant, flipping the social hierarchy for comedic and critical effect: annotate the stage direction 'she speaks to Flipote' to illustrate how even the quiet maid contributes to the satirical commentary.

   Independent task

   Students should read Act I, Scenes 1–2 thoroughly and compose one structured paragraph (using the PEEL format, with a minimum of 150 words) in response to the question: How does Molière use Dorine's voice in Act I to set up the play's satirical tone regarding Tartuffe before he actually appears on stage? In their response, students must include at least two quotes from Dorine and one from Madame Pernelle, explaining how the differences between these voices highlight themes of social class and honesty in the play.

   Exit ticket

   In two or three sentences, explain why it is dramatically significant that Molière gives the most accurate judgement of Tartuffe in Act I not to Cléante or Orgon but to Dorine, a servant — what does this choice tell us about where Molière locates moral intelligence in this play?

2. Lesson 2: Performing Piety: Tartuffe's Language of False Devotion in Act III

   60 min · ch. 3

   Do now

   Read Act III, Scene 2 — Tartuffe's first entrance — from 'Laurent, put away my hair-shirt' to the end of his exchange with Dorine. Without any teacher input, list every word or phrase Tartuffe uses that reflects religious language or self-denial, then write one sentence about what you find peculiar regarding his usage of these terms.

   Teacher input

   Model a language-level analysis of Tartuffe's speech to Elmire in Act III, Scene 3, focusing on the lines beginning "Ah, for a heart as fervent as my own" through to "Heaven placed you here to save my soul." Examine how Tartuffe takes the vocabulary of divine love — including words like "Heaven," "fervent," "soul," and "devotion" — and twists it to express sexual desire. Teach students to identify this as semantic subversion. Highlight the transition from third-person references to God to first-person expressions of personal feeling as a key indicator of his manipulation.

   Independent task

   Students are required to compose two analytical paragraphs (at least 200 words in total) responding to the question: How does Molière use Tartuffe's language in Act III, Scenes 2–3 to demonstrate that religious discourse can be weaponized for personal benefit? Each paragraph should concentrate on a distinct linguistic technique. Students must identify the technique, cite the relevant line, and discuss its impact on Elmire (the on-stage audience) as well as the theatre audience observing the scene.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence that completes the following analytical claim with precise textual evidence from Act III, Scene 3: 'Molière reveals Tartuffe's hypocrisy not through action but through language, specifically when he…'

3. Lesson 3: Obedience and Patriarchal Power: Orgon, Mariane and the Forced Marriage in Act II

   60 min · ch. 1, 2

   Do now

   Read Act II, Scene 1 — Orgon's conversation with Mariane — from the opening until Orgon declares that she will marry Tartuffe. Before discussing it, jot down: what does Orgon want Mariane to say, and what does she actually say? What does the difference between these two responses show about the power dynamics in this household?

   Teacher input

   Model a character-and-structure analysis on Act II, Scene 1, focusing on Orgon's repeated question "Well?" and Mariane's one-word answers. Show how Molière uses the rapid-fire exchanges in their dialogue to convey a sense of pressure and coercion. Highlight Orgon's line, "It is my wish, and that should be enough," as the clearest expression of patriarchal authority in the play. Annotate this line alongside Cléante's later remark in Act I, Scene 5, "True piety is not like that," to illustrate how Molière portrays Orgon's submission to Tartuffe as a reflection of the obedience he expects from his daughter.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a comparative analytical paragraph (at least 180 words) that addresses the following question: How does Molière depict Orgon's authority over Mariane in Act II, Scene 1 as both a domestic issue and a source of satire? To support their analysis, students must include at least one quote from Orgon that illustrates his expectation of unquestioning obedience, along with one quote from Mariane that reveals her limited response. They should then explain how this relationship highlights the play's larger critique of blind obedience—whether to a father figure or to a fraudulent religious leader.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain how the forced marriage plot in Act II connects to the play's central theme of deception: who is deceiving whom, and what does each character believe to be true at this point in the action?

4. Lesson 4: Elmire's Trap: Female Agency and Dramatic Irony in Act IV

   60 min · ch. 4

   Do now

   Read Act IV, Scene 5 — the scene where Elmire conceals Orgon under the table and tricks Tartuffe into revealing his true intentions — from Elmire's opening 'Come, then' to the moment Orgon reveals himself. Without any guidance from a teacher, write two sentences: what is Elmire's strategy, and when does the dramatic irony hit its highest point for the audience?

   Teacher input

   Model an analysis of dramatic irony and stage space in Act IV, Scene 5. Focus on the stage direction that shows Orgon concealed under the table and Elmire's line, "My husband is not what you think him, and he knows how to be deceived." Molière cleverly uses the physical staging — with the husband hidden and the wife in plain sight — to flip traditional power dynamics: Elmire, lacking legal authority, takes on the role of director in the scene, while Orgon, the patriarch, becomes a passive, hidden observer. This setup illustrates the play's argument that women often have to navigate through indirect means since they are frequently denied the opportunity for direct speech.

   Independent task

   Students are required to write two analytical paragraphs, totaling at least 200 words, that respond to the following question: How does Molière utilize the staging and dialogue in Act IV, Scene 5 to portray Elmire as the most strategically intelligent character in the play? Additionally, what does her approach reveal about the constraints on women's power within the play's context? In their analysis, students must include at least one stage direction and two lines of dialogue, accurately use the term 'dramatic irony' and discuss its impact on the audience's sympathies, and address what Elmire's strategy costs her regarding dignity or risk.

   Exit ticket

   Write one full sentence explaining why Molière chooses to have Orgon witness Tartuffe's advances from under the table rather than simply being told about them by Elmire afterwards — what does this staging decision add to the play's argument about evidence, belief and deception?

5. Lesson 5: The King's Justice and Molière's Argument: Writing the Essay on Deception and Power in Act V

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

   Do now

   • The King intervenes by pardoning Orgon and ordering the arrest of Tartuffe.
   • This feels dramatically convenient because it resolves the conflict quickly and aligns with Orgon's previously misguided trust, making the King's arrival seem perfectly timed to save the day.
   • This ending poses a challenge for readers who expect a clear moral lesson, as it suggests that redemption can come too easily, undermining the complexity of the characters' journeys.

   Teacher input

   Model the construction of an essay thesis and topic sentence on Act V, Scene 7, concentrating on the Officer's speech that praises the King's 'clear-eyed wisdom.' Argue that this conclusion serves as a form of theatrical deception — Molière flatters royal authority to shield the play from censorship — and guide students in crafting a paragraph that navigates two conflicting ideas: the King as a true moral authority versus the King as a dramatic tool that obscures the play's lingering questions about who truly holds power. Annotate the Officer's speech to illustrate how its exaggerated praise ('our noble, gracious King') mirrors Tartuffe's own inflated religious language, which creates an unsettling parallel.

   Independent task

   Write a comprehensive analytical essay of 500–700 words that responds to the following question: "In Tartuffe, Molière employs deception not just as a plot device but as a means to explore who wields power and who is marginalized." Present a clear thesis in your introduction. Your essay should analyze at least three of the following moments in this sequence: (1) Dorine's exposure of Tartuffe in Act I, Scene 1; (2) Tartuffe's seductive language in Act III, Scene 3; (3) Elmire's entrapment scene in Act IV, Scene 5; (4) the Officer's speech and the King's pardon in Act V, Scene 7. Include direct quotations from the play at least four times, identifying at least one dramatic or linguistic technique for each quote, and conclude by discussing whether you believe Molière's ending resolves or simply postpones the play's central issue regarding power.

   Exit ticket

   Having written your essay, write two or three sentences reflecting on this question: does the King's intervention at the end of Act V make Tartuffe a play that ultimately endorses the existing social order, or does Molière leave enough irony in the ending to keep his critique of power alive — and which single moment in the play most strongly supports your view?

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can articulate why Molière's choice of Dorine — a servant — as truth-teller is dramatically and socially significant, not merely that she is funny.
• Lesson 2 annotated extract: checks whether students can identify and name specific linguistic techniques (semantic field, subversion of register) in Tartuffe's Act III, Scene 3 speech, not just paraphrase what he says.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket: checks whether students can connect the domestic coercion of Mariane in Act II to the play's wider satirical argument about obedience, rather than treating the forced marriage as an isolated plot event.
• Lesson 4 independent paragraphs: checks whether students can use the term 'dramatic irony' with precision — naming the gap in knowledge between audience and character — and link it to Molière's argument about gender and power.
• Lesson 5 essay plan (collected before writing begins): checks whether students have a genuine thesis that makes a claim about deception and power, rather than a list of points or a plot summary.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama, including where a story is set, how the action is ordered, and how the characters are introduced and developed.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Write a thesis that interprets a literary text and requires a line of reasoning to defend.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including connotation and semantic field.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including how characters are developed and how they contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
• Narration and Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure in a literary text, including how dramatic irony and staging choices contribute to meaning.

AQA

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, including Molière's use of dialogue, stage direction and comic structure.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including seventeenth-century French attitudes to religion, class and royal authority.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations, including critical readings of the play's ending as satire or as capitulation to royal censorship.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed responses to literary texts using relevant concepts and terminology.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in Tartuffe through language, form and structure, including Molière's use of rhyming couplets and comic dramatic irony.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of contexts of production and reception, including the 1664 censorship of Tartuffe and its implications for reading the play's ending.

IB Lit

• Readers, Writers and Texts — Analyse how Molière's stylistic choices, including register, irony and dramatic staging, construct meaning for a contemporary and a modern audience.
• Time and Space — Evaluate how the seventeenth-century French social and religious context shapes the play's treatment of deception, authority and gender.