The Imaginary Invalid by Molière
**The Imaginary Invalid** is a comedic play by the renowned French playwright Molière, first performed in 1673. The story revolves around Argan, a wealthy hypochondriac who believes he is gravely ill, and his misguided obsession with medical treatments. Despite the efforts of his clever maid Toinette, who knows he is not truly sick, Argan remains convinced that his ailments require constant attention from doctors and apothecaries, who exploit his fears for profit.
The play also explores themes of love and familial duty, particularly through Argan's attempts to marry off his daughter Angélique to the son of his doctor, against her will. Angélique is in love with Cléante, leading to a conflict between her desires and her father's intentions. Molière skillfully intertwines humor with social critique, particularly regarding the medical profession and the dynamics within a family.
In a series of comedic twists, Toinette and Argan's brother Béralde devise a plan to expose Argan's wife, Béline, as a gold digger and ensure Angélique's happiness. Ultimately, the play concludes with a humorous resolution where Argan becomes a mock doctor himself, highlighting both the absurdity of his character and the farcical nature of the medical practices of the time. The Imaginary Invalid remains a significant work in the realm of satire, reflecting societal issues through its engaging narrative and vibrant characters.
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The Imaginary Invalid by Molière
First produced:Le Malade imaginaire, 1673; first published, 1674 (English translation, 1732; also known as The Hypochondriac)
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Comedy
Time of plot: Seventeenth century
Locale: Paris
Principal characters
Argan , a hypochondriacBéline , his second wifeAngélique , Argan’s daughterCléante , her loverBéralde , Argan’s brotherThomas Diafoirus , the doctor’s sonToinette , Argan’s maidservant
The Story:
Argan is the worst sort of hypochondriac. Each day sees him trying some sort of new drug, and as a result the doctor and the apothecary can exist almost exclusively on their profits from Argan. Toinette, his maidservant, is certain that there is absolutely nothing the matter with her master, but she tries in vain to persuade him not to worry about his health. He refuses to listen to her, determined to be an invalid.
He is encouraged in his supposed illness by his doctor and by Béline, his second wife, who uses his weakness to further her schemes to get his money. Because the law says that a second wife cannot inherit, it is essential to Béline that Argan make a settlement on her while he still lives. To that end also she tries to get him to place his two daughters in a convent, so that they cannot interfere or claim money for themselves.
Argan has plans for his older daughter, Angélique. He intends to force her betrothal to his doctor’s son in order to have a doctor in the family. He tells the girl that a dutiful daughter will take a husband useful to her father, but Angélique, who loves a young man named Cléante, begs her father not to force her to marry Thomas Diafoirus, the doctor’s son. Argan is firm, however, because the young man will also inherit a large sum of money from his father and another from his uncle, the apothecary. If Angélique will not obey his wishes, he threatens to place her in a convent, as her stepmother wishes him to do. Toinette scolds him severely for trying to force his daughter to marry against her wishes, but he will not be moved. Toinette, wishing to help Angélique, gets word to Cléante that his beloved is to be married off to someone else.
Cléante disguises himself as the friend of Angélique’s singing master and tells Argan that he was sent to give her a lesson. Toinette pretends to change her mind and sympathizes with Argan’s position regarding the marriage. In that way she can offer to guard Angélique, while in reality giving the young lovers an opportunity to be alone together.
While pretending to be the teacher, Cléante witnesses the meeting between Thomas and Angélique. Thomas is a great boob of a boy who quotes memorized speeches to Argan, Angélique, and Béline. His father, the doctor, is quite proud that Thomas, always a little slow in learning, follows blindly the opinions of the ancients, not accepting such new medical discoveries, for example, as the thesis that blood circulates through the system.
Poor Angélique knows that she could never marry such a stupid oaf. She begs her father at least to give her time to become acquainted with Thomas, but the most he will give her is four days. At the end of that period, she must either marry Thomas or go into a convent. In order to be assured of Argan’s money, Béline continues to plead with him to choose the convent for his daughter.
Argan’s brother, Béralde, calls on him and also pleads Angélique’s cause. He thinks it wicked to force her to marry against her wishes, and he knows that Argan is not really ill and does not need a doctor in the family. In fact, he knows that the doctor will soon cause his brother’s death by the constant “drenching” of his abdomen. Béralde sends the medicines away, whereupon the doctor renounces his patient and predicts his death within four days. The apothecary cancels his contract to give his nephew a marriage settlement, and neither of the professionals will be soothed by Argan’s protestations that it is his brother and not he who denounces them and their treatments. Argan believes that he will surely die without their attention.
Toinette and Béralde decide to trick the hypochondriac. Toinette disguises herself as a physician and tells Argan that his former doctor was entirely mistaken in his diagnosis of Argan’s illness. His liver and bowels are not ailing, but his lungs are; he must cut off his arm and pluck out his eye because they are drawing off all his strength. Even Argan will not agree to such a drastic remedy. The poor man feels he is doomed.
Nevertheless, he will not relent concerning Angélique. Since the doctor and the apothecary broke the marriage contract, Angélique must go to a convent and become a nun. When Béralde accuses him of being influenced by his wife, Argan agrees to Toinette’s suggestion that he allow his wife to prove her love for him. Because Toinette knows Béline’s greed, she suggests that Argan act dead so as to see from her response that it is him she loves and not his money.
The plan is carried out. When Toinette cries to Béline that Argan was dead, the wife praises heaven that she is rid of her dirty, disgusting husband, and she tries to bribe Toinette to help her keep Argan’s death a secret until she can get certain papers and money into her possession. At that, Argan rises from his supposed deathbed to confront his wife, who flees in terror.
Toinette persuades Argan to try the same plan with his daughter, and when Angélique is told that her father is dead, she weeps for him. Cléante comes into the room and Angélique tells him that now she cannot marry him. Her father is dead, and she can make amends for her previous refusals to obey him only by carrying out his wishes now. Argan again rises from his deathbed, this time to bless his daughter for her faithfulness. Toinette and Béralde remind him of his daughter’s love and of his duty to reward her by allowing her to marry the man of her choice. Argan agrees that she can marry Cléante if he will become a doctor and minister to Argan’s needs. Cléante is willing, but Béralde has a better idea. Argan should become a doctor himself; then he could give himself constant attention. All that is needed is that he don cap and gown. He can then spout gibberish and make it sound learned. Thus, the matter is settled, and the old hypochondriac gives his blessing to the young lovers.
Bibliography
Hawcroft, Michael. Molière: Reasoning with Fools. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Examines the characters in Molière’s plays whom Hawcroft calls raisonneurs—the thoughtful, witty, and resourceful friends of the foolish protagonists. Analyzes the raisonneur’s role as brother and impresario in The Imaginary Invalid.
Hubert, Judd D. Molière and the Comedy of Intellect. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1962. In the penultimate chapter, Hubert explores comic uses of language in The Imaginary Invalid and discusses the irony that Molière, who was then dying, played the role of an imaginary invalid in the first performances of his last comedy.
Johnson, Roger, Jr., Editha S. Neumann, and Guy T. Trail, eds. Molière and the Commonwealth of Letters: Patrimony and Posterity. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1975. Contains many essays on the critical reception of Molière’s comedies after his death in 1673 as well as an excellent bibliography and a survey of criticism on Molière.
Knutson, Harold C. The Triumph of Wit: Molière and Restoration Comedy. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1988. Discusses such important English Restoration playwrights as John Dryden and William Wycherley, who imitated plays by Molière. Interprets engravings by Molière’s contemporaries to show that Argan differed both in style of clothing and in behavior from more sympathetic characters.
Koppisch, Michael S. Rivalry and the Disruption of Order in Molière’s Theater. Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2004. Argues that the characters in Molière’s plays desperately want something they cannot have, such as Argan’s seemingly crazy desire to be sick.
McCarthy, Gerry. The Theatres of Molière. New York: Routledge, 2002. Places Molière’s life and work within the context of the French theater of his time. Discusses the productions of some of his plays, including their actors, scenes, and costumes.
Polsky, Zachary. The Comic Machine, the Narrative Machine, and the Political Machine in the Works of Molière. Lewiston, N.Y.: E. Mellen Press, 2003. Examines the nature of seventeenth century French comedy by analyzing the works of Molière. Discusses the moralism and political context of Molière’s plays and describes the use of speech, voice, and body in their performance.
Scott, Virginia. Molière: A Theatrical Life. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Chronicles Molière’s life and provides an overview of his plays, placing them within the context of seventeenth century French theater.
Walker, Hallam. Molière. Rev. ed. Boston: Twayne, 1990. Contains an annotated bibliography of critical studies on Molière and discusses the importance of music and dance in The Imaginary Invalid, which was created by Molière in collaboration with the composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier and the choreographer Pierre Beauchamp.