2 h 28 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 61 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 61 pagesAbout this book
What if your father's cure for his fear of dying is to marry you to a doctor?
In Molière's comedy-ballet The Imaginary Invalid, Argan is healthy, wealthy and certain he is gravely ill. His days revolve around remedies and medical bills. Now he wants his daughter Angélique to marry Thomas Diafoirus, a doctor in training, for the sake of his own comfort.
But Angélique loves Cléante, and the quick-witted maid Toinette refuses to let Argan's fears rule unchallenged. His brother Béralde offers calm doubt while doctors parade their learning. From the opening reckoning of medical bills to the Diafoiruses' stiff ceremonial visit, the play asks who gains when fear takes charge.
What you’ll discover
- A sickroom ruled by bills Watch Argan count the cost of remedies while remaining utterly devoted to his supposed illness.
- A maid who talks back Meet Toinette, whose sharp tongue challenges her master's ailments and helps protect Angélique.
- Love against a prescription Follow Angélique as she resists a marriage arranged for her father's comfort rather than her happiness.
- Learned words, foolish displays Enjoy the Diafoiruses' ceremonial visit, where stiff compliments and grand learning become comic targets.
- Fear beneath the laughter Discover a satire of medical authority, with songs and dances between the acts.
Is it for you?
This book suits anyone who likes quick, sharp comedy, plays that read well aloud, or satire that still fits modern worries about health. It may suit you less if you want a deep plot with many characters or a gentle tone.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Argan lives by his cures
- Toinette sees through the household
- A doctor for a son-in-law
- The Diafoiruses arrive with Latin and nonsense
- Béralde argues against the doctors
- What the play is about and how it works
Who’s who
- ArganA wealthy Parisian who is sure he is gravely ill, and who wants his daughter married to a doctor's son.
- AngéliqueArgan's elder daughter, who loves Cléante and refuses to accept a husband chosen only for her father's comfort.
- ToinetteThe quick-witted maid, who sees through every pretence in the house and works to protect Angélique.
- BélineArgan's second wife, who dotes on him in words and hopes to gain from his fortune.
- BéraldeArgan's brother, a calm and sensible man who doubts the doctors and wants his niece to marry for love.
- CléanteA gentle young man in love with Angélique, who finds clever ways to be near her.
- Thomas DiafoirusA stiff, learned young doctor in training, chosen by Argan as Angélique's husband.
- Dr. PurgonArgan's physician, who believes in purges and rules his patient by fear.
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- Audiobook
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- 15-minute summary
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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The Imaginary Invalid
by Molière· 1674
A man's fear of illness upsets his family's plans.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
Argan lives by his cures
The play opens on Argan alone in his room, going over the bills of his apothecary, Monsieur Fleurant. He adds up the charges for every enema, syrup and purge, and he grumbles at the cost. Then he rings for help and nobody comes, so he shouts. The scene tells us at once who he is. He is a man who has built his whole day around his own body.
Argan is not poor and he is not old. He has a house in Paris, a second wife, two daughters from his first marriage and a brother. Yet he treats the home as a hospital and his family as staff. He wants to be nursed, to be pitied and to be obeyed. Each new cure is a small proof, to him, that he is truly ill.
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The author
Molière
1622–1673 · French playwright and actor
Molière was the stage name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, a French playwright and actor born in Paris in 1622. He toured France with a theatre company before returning to Paris in 1658. He wrote comedies, including Tartuffe, The Miser, and The Imaginary Invalid. He died in Paris in 1673.
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What is The Imaginary Invalid about?
It is a comedy about Argan, a rich and healthy man who thinks he is always ill. His doctors, his wife and his family all deal with his fear, and his plan to marry off his daughter causes the trouble.
Who wrote The Imaginary Invalid and when?
Molière wrote it, and it was first staged in Paris in 1673. It was his last play, and he acted the lead role himself, with music by Marc-Antoine Charpentier.
What does hypochondria mean in this play?
Hypochondria means a constant, unfounded fear of illness. Argan has it, and the doctors and the apothecary keep it alive because it brings them money. Molière shows both the fear and the people who profit.
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