CLEANTE from “Tartuffe”

Age: 40s+

Cléante is Elmire’s brother and Orgon’s brother-in-law. Cléante is a frequent visitor at Orgon’s house, enjoying the society of Elmire’s other guests. Cléante is a philosopher and serious thinker, a voice of reason and moderation whose speeches border on the pompous. Cléante dispenses wise thoughts and argues commonsense positions. He approaches crises with caution and so is given to inaction.

CLÉANTE

Brother, I don’t pretend to be a sage, 

Nor have I all the wisdom of the age. 

There’s just one insight I would dare to claim: 

I know that true and false are not the same; 

And just as there is nothing I more revere 

Than a soul whose faith is steadfast and sincere, 

Nothing that I more cherish and admire 

Than honest zeal and true religious fire, 

So there is nothing that I find more base 

Than specious piety’s dishonest face— 

Than these bold mountebanks, these histrios 

Whose impious mummeries and hollow shows 

Exploit our love of Heaven, and make a jest 

Of all that men think holiest and best; 

These calculating souls who offer prayers 

Not to their Maker, but as public wares, 

And seek to buy respect and reputation 

With lifted eyes and sighs of exaltation; 

These charlatans, I say, whose pilgrim souls 

Proceed, by way of Heaven, toward earthly goals, 

Who weep and pray and swindle and extort, 

Who preach the monkish life, but haunt the court, 

Who make their zeal the partner of their vice— 

Such men are vengeful, sly, and cold as ice, 

And when there is an enemy to defame 

They cloak their spite in fair religion’s name, 

Their private spleen and malice being made 

To seem a high and virtuous crusade, 

Until, to mankind’s reverent applause, 

They crucify their foe in Heaven’s cause.