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Tartuffe Act 3, Scene 2 Summary

  • Tartuffe enters, talking loudly to his servant Laurent, who is off-stage; he's going to go to the prison, he says, to give money to the prisoners.
  • Dorine can't stand his pretentiousness.
  • Tartuffe can't stand the sight of Dorine's breasts, and he gives her a handkerchief to cover her bosom; he says the sight of it creates unclean thoughts – no doubt in his dirty mind.
  • Dorine calls him out and says that she would feel nothing if he were prancing around naked.
  • Tartuffe doesn't want to listen to her jibes – and he doesn't have to; Dorine is on her way out. Elmire, she tells him, is headed downstairs to have a chat with him.
  • When Tartuffe gets too excited about this, Dorine thinks her suspicions have been confirmed. She leaves.