And why is this? Because Orgon trusts Tartuffe almost more or more than his own family. This is expressed particularly well in the passage "This is too much, dear Brother." (3.6.34) Here Orgon addresses Tartuffe as brother which goes to show how much he trusts him and in the lines:.
Villain, be still!.
I know your motives; I know you wish him ill:.
Yes, all of you---wife, children, servants, all---.
Conspire against him and desire his fall,.
Employing every shameful trick you can.
To alienate me from this saintly man. (3.6.45-50).
Orgon even believes Tartuffe over his own son and the rest of his household when he tries to convince him of Tartuffe's desire for Elmire. This is where these plays are similar concerning trust. .
In Othello, other characters were blinded by their trust in Iago as well until the end of the play when his plans were finally realized and this could be the reason why he was so successful. The line from Desdemona herself "Alas, Iago, What shall I do to win my lord again?" (4.2.147-148) from Othello shows just how much other people trust Iago as she is asking him for very personal advice. Another time this is seen is when Cassio says this to Iago: "Not tonight, good Iago."(2.3.27) Here, although Cassio is telling Iago no he still addresses him as good Iago showing that he believes him to be good and truthful. In Tartuffe almost all of the characters besides Orgon and Madame Pernelle didn't trust Tartuffe and outwardly showed their dislike for him, ultimately causing his downfall. This is a line said by Dorine at the beginning of the play: "His man Laurent's the same, or worse; I'd not trust either with a penny purse." (1.1.72-73) This shows how much just Dorine doesn't trust Tartuffe (or his servant) and there are several more lines like it throughout the play from several other characters. While trust is a vital component in these plays there is also the search (or lack thereof) for ocular or other physical proof.
