Almost as if to vex Célimène, Alceste decides that he will stay while she is entertaining her other suitors. He furthermore announces that he will force her to "declare yourself. — For their satisfaction or mine." Along with Acaste and Clitandre, Célimène's cousin Eliante, and Alceste's friend, Philinte, enter the room. The two fops proceed to gossip with Célimène about several mutual acquaintances, much to the disgust of Alceste, Philinte, and Eliante.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Alceste speaks out and criticizes them for slandering their friends: "But let any one of them appear on the scene and you would all rush to meet him, offer him your hands in fulsome greeting, and protest your eternal devotion." Then Clitandre tells Alceste that he should not so much berate the men because his fiancée, Célimène, is more to blame for the gossip. Then the conversation turns to the subject of the sincerity of the man-woman relationship. Alceste claims that the man and woman must always speak the plain facts to each other. Eliante explains that love is blind, and flattery is an essential part of any love relationship.
The servant Basque announces the arrival of another guest, an officer of the court of the marshals. The officer tells Alceste that he must appear before the marshals on account of his quarrel with Oronte, the author of the sonnet which Alceste had criticized. Alceste comments as he is leaving that Oronte should be hanged for writing such bad verse.
