Cléante confronts Tartuffe and suggests that it is not the act of a religious man to cause such strife in a family and to allow a father to disinherit his son. Tartuffe argues that he would love to see Damis reinstated, but he is afraid that people would then interpret his act incorrectly. Cléante points out the warped reasoning in this argument and suggests that he leave vengeance to God. Tartuffe maintains that he has forgiven Damis but finds it wrong to live with someone who smears his name. He also explains that he despises wealth and the only reason he allows Orgon to transfer his property to him is so that it will not fall into wicked hands where it might be used for crime and sin. When Cléante begins to point out the fallacy in this argument, Tartuffe leaves abruptly, saying that he has to attend to certain pious offices.
Elmire, Mariane, and Dorine arrive, asking Cléante to stay and help them convince Orgon of his errors. When Orgon arrives, he presents Mariane with the marriage contract. She pleads on her knees that he not force her to marry Tartuffe; she says she does not resent her father's love for Tartuffe and, if he wishes, Orgon can take all of her property and bestow it on Tartuffe, but she requests that she be left free to choose a husband for herself.
Orgon argues that the more one loathes a man the more noble it will be to marry him because, by so doing, one will be able to mortify one's flesh and make it pure. Cléante starts to offer advice, but Orgon tells him that even though his advice is sound, he will not follow it. Elmire is astounded at Orgon's ability to be continually wrong. She wonders if he would believe his eyes and challenges him to become a part of a plot which would reveal Tartuffe's hypocrisy. Orgon has such faith in Tartuffe that he accepts the challenge.
Elmire sends the others away and tells Orgon to hide under the table and to observe what is about to take place. She asks him to interrupt the interview between her and Tartuffe at any moment that he is convinced that Tartuffe is not the man he pretends to be.
