ELMIRE
The declaration is most gallant, but, to tell the truth, it is a bit surprising. I think you should better guard your heart, and reflect a little on such a design. A devout man like you, one who is everywhere called. . . .
TARTUFFE
Ah! I am not the less human for being devout; and when one sees your heavenly allurements the heart surrenders, and does not reflect. I know that such language from me appears strange; but, Madam, after all, I am no angel; and if you condemn the avowal I have made, you must blame your own lovely charms. . . .

In this passage from Molière's Tartuffe, the title character reveals his hypocrisy and manipulative nature. Tartuffe attempts to justify his inappropriate advances on Elmire, the wife of his benefactor Orgon, by using religious devotion as a thin veil for his desires. He twists his supposed piety into an excuse for his actions, suggesting that his humanity and susceptibility to temptation are unavoidable even for a devout man. This rationalization highlights his deceitful character: he positions himself as a victim to Elmire's beauty rather than taking responsibility for his own behavior. His rhetoric is designed to manipulate Elmire, deflecting blame onto her charms. This scene critically exposes Tartuffe’s duplicity and the dangers of blind faith in the guise of false piety.