From the beginning of the play we immediately see the tension caused by Tartuffe’s presence. Tartuffe, an older, poor, religious man, is brought into a wealthy family with blind trust from the families father Orgon. The initial scene sets the tone with Orgon’s mother Madame Pernelle’s anger as her grandchildren mention their distrust and unease with Tartuffe. This brings severe objection from Madame Pernelle. She states “He’s showing you the way to heaven,” “His very presence casts the devil out.” Another character is introduced, Dorine, the lady maid to Orgons daughter Mariane.  Dorine isn’t just a voice of reason, but also the free-thinking mind that stubbornly speaks out of her place throughout the play. She speaks, and thinks, where Mariane is afraid to. While others believe Tartuffe to be a charlatatan, Orgon treats him like he is a King, allowing Tartuffe all that he wants. Dorine states “He hands him money. They’re not even loans-““It’s gone too far. To watch Tartuffe play him like a guitar!” The play takes an unexpected turn when Orgon tells his daughter that he wants her to marry Tartuffe. This going back on Orgon’s word allowing his daughter to marry her true love Valere. The thought of marrying Tartuffe confuses and terrifies Mariane, but she is unable to speak against her father’s demand. He even tells her what she will say, “He is a perfect man in every way; in body and soul, I find him divine.” This is where the reader starts to believe Orgon isn’t just easily influenced but also “born bizarre,” as Dorine states people will believe of him. During this conversation Dorine interjects and angers Orgon by speaking up and out of place, trying to reason, sometimes sarcastically, sometimes manipulatively to convince Orgon that this is a terrible idea. “And the gossip! Your friends will talk a lot, because you are a man of wealth and he is not.” Then the conversation turns to pure anger, Dorine even goes as far as to tell Orgon that Mariane will commit adultery and further humiliate him with this decision. Mariane is unwilling to deny her father’s demand and informs Valere. After a disruptive, prideful and stubborn conversation between Mariane and Valere; Dorine once again shows her strength in bringing the two back together and deciding on a plot to make Orgon change his mind.  Some interesting factors about this play, for one, the reader, in acts 1 to 3 has yet to meet Tartuffe. There is little indication of what Orgon was like before meeting Tartuffe, but we see how easily he is manipulated by him. Orgon states, “Yes, I was changed after I talked with him.” “He’s taught me to love nothing and no one!”   There are aspects of the play that show the nature of the times. Obedience to one’s parent, piety and blindly following the religious, but enlightenment is also shown. Orgon’s criticism of Valere because “He thinks things a Christian would abhor. It is from free thinking that all evils stem.” The most enlightened aspect is Dorine’s character. Not only is she a woman but also a servant, and she is the most outspoken and strong character in the play.