Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Imaginary Invalid
    The Imaginary Invalid
    The Imaginary Invalid
    Ebook172 pages1 hour

    The Imaginary Invalid

    By Molière and Charles Heron Wall

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateJan 1, 1939
    Author

    Molière

    Molière was a French playwright, actor, and poet. Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and universal literature, his extant works include comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more.

    Read more from Molière

    Related to The Imaginary Invalid

    Related ebooks

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Book Review

      Sep 17, 2023

      Book Review
      4 min read

    • Article

      Redux: The Virgin Suicides

      Oct 23, 2018

      Redux: The Virgin Suicides
      2 min read

    • Article

      A Midsummer Night’s Dream

      Dec 17, 2021

      A Midsummer Night’s Dream
      2 min read

    • Article

      Theatrical Seekers and True Believers

      Dec 25, 2019

      A MOMENT ON THE CLOCK OF THE WORLD Edited by Melanie Joseph and David Bruin. Haymarket Books, Chicago, 2019. 220 pp., $50 hardcover, $20 paper. MOMENT WORK: TECTONIC THEATER PROJECT’S PROCESS OF DEVISING THEATER Edited by Moisés Kaufman and Barbara P

      6 min read

    • Article

      Terrence McNally: 1938-2020

      Apr 27, 2020

      TERRENCE McNALLY made no insistence on his significance. If there were only one thing to be gleaned from the litany of speeches, interviews, and works of his I have read since his passing, it seems to be that for Terrence the most significant thing w

      2 min read

    • Article

      Down The Rabbit Hole

      Nov 10, 2019

      Down The Rabbit Hole
      3 min read

    • Article

      On Stage

      Apr 14, 2020

      On Stage
      1 min read

    • Article

      Polly Stenham

      Jun 4, 2016

      Polly Stenham
      1 min read

    • Article

      RSC and Representation

      Jun 17, 2023

      RSC and Representation
      3 min read

    • Article

      Refugees

      Mar 1, 2019

      Refugees
      12 min read

    • Article

      Dramas At The Big House

      Dec 15, 2021

      Dramas At The Big House
      4 min read

    • Article

      Sylvie Baumgartel

      Jun 15, 2018

      I walked in the door, took off my coat, took off my sunglasses, set them down with my keys, took off my shoes and socks, my jeans, my shirt, my bra and underwear, set them all on the chair by the door, walked into the house naked, went to the fridge,

      10 min read

    • Article

      Prohibition

      Sep 10, 2021

      It had been ten days since my last fix. I knew what I was going to do was wrong, but unless you knew the yearning that your body exerts, the internal pull which strangles your very soul into submission, then you cannot judge me. Yes, it was wrong. Ye

      15 min read

    • Article

      Six Stories

      Sep 8, 2020

      I’m on the train, traveling alone, with two seats to myself. I have to use the restroom. Without thinking about it carefully, I ask a couple across the aisle if they would please watch my things for me for a moment. Then I take a closer look at them

      8 min read

    • Article

      Side Gig

      Aug 8, 2019

      Side Gig
      6 min read

    • Article

      I'm With Her… AND YOU?

      Sep 1, 2023

      I'm With Her… AND YOU?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Collins Ferry Landing

      Jul 1, 2020

      for my father Only rivers bottom out like this.Only rivers bottom out with this kind of conviction.Not humans, or, at least, not humans asindisputably human as you were,trapped in consciousness’s surplus, exilic,animalized absurdity, writhing in its

      5 min read

    Reviews for The Imaginary Invalid

    4/5

    4 ratings5 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This is a very funny play in the Folio 2 euros series, much cheaper than Argan's pills and potions - involving a hypochondriac, mistaken identities, clever servants and satire on the medical profession - Thomas Diafoirus, described by W.G.Moore, as the embodiment of crass stupidity.
    • 4/5
      Sehr nett. Entwickelt sich in eine seltsame Richtung, nimmt Bezug auf Moliere, der Argan spielte. Größe Verwirrung.
    • 4/5
      Argan is the epitome of the fool - he is so concerned with himself and is pleased to be the center of attention by way of his poor health. There is the requisite romantic couple who look to be thwarted because of this man's foolishness. But with the help of the impudent maid, everything is put to rights, though nothing can make Argan a rational creature!
    • 3/5
      This is the story of Argan, a hypochrondriac that wants to marry his daughter to a doctor in order to have one in the family. It is a typical comedy, with people is disguise, and various alliances among characters, and misunderstandings that lead to absurdity.This play is also an attack on the medical profession, with their self-interest in keeping patients sick in order to sell cures and bill for their services.Entertaining, quick read.
    • 4/5
      Moliére's "Le malade imaginaire" from 1673 is a very angry comedy against the practices of doctors and pharmacists. The protagonist Argon is a hypochondriac and is being exploited by his doctors to buy various medicaments - they invent new illnesses and possible cures to make a good business out of Argon. The drama begins when the presumingly sick man wants to marry his daughter off to the son of a doctor to always have a medic in his family. His daughter, of course, is already in love with somebody else and is therefore resisting. Oh, and then there is Argon's wife that only wants his heirloom...I haven't seen this piece as a play yet, still I had to grin quiet a few times while reading. As typical for Moliére the situation is absurd on its own, but not really distant from reality. All in all it's a nice, short book that can be read on one evening.

    Book preview

    The Imaginary Invalid - Molière

    The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Imaginary Invalid, by Molière, Translated by Charles Heron Wall

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

    almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or

    re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

    with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

    Title: The Imaginary Invalid

    Le Malade Imaginaire

    Author: Molière

    Release Date: September 2, 2003 [eBook #9070]

    HTML version added: November 25, 2008

    Most recently revised: July 21, 2012

    Language: English

    Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

    ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE IMAGINARY INVALID***

    E-text prepared by Charles Franks, Delphine Lettau,

    and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

    (http://www.pgdp.net)

    HTML version prepared by Delphine Lettau

    THE IMAGINARY INVALID.

    (LE MALADE IMAGINAIRE.)

    BY

    MOLIÈRE

    TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE.

    WITH SHORT INTRODUCTIONS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES

    BY

    CHARLES HERON WALL

    This is the last comedy written by Molière. He was very ill, nearly dying, at the time he wrote it. It was first acted at the Palais Royal Theatre, on February 10, 1673.

    Molière acted the part of Argan.

    PERSONS REPRESENTED.

    Argan, an imaginary invalid.

    Béline, second wife to Argan.

    Angélique, daughter to Argan, in love with Cléante.

    Louison, Argan's young daughter, sister to Angélique.

    Béralde, brother to Argan.

    Cléante, lover to Angélique.

    Mr. Diafoirus, a physician.

    Thomas Diafoirus, his son, in love with Angélique.

    Mr. Purgon, physician to Argan.

    Mr. Fleurant, an apothecary.

    Mr. de Bonnefoi, a notary.

    Toinette, maid-servant to Argan.

    THE IMAGINARY INVALID.

    ACT I.

    SCENE I.——ARGAN (sitting at a table, adding up his apothecary's bill with counters).

    Arg. Three and two make five, and five make ten, and ten make twenty. Item, on the 24th, a small, insinuative clyster, preparative and gentle, to soften, moisten, and refresh the bowels of Mr. Argan. What I like about Mr. Fleurant, my apothecary, is that his bills are always civil. The bowels of Mr. Argan. All the same, Mr. Fleurant, it is not enough to be civil, you must also be reasonable, and not plunder sick people. Thirty sous for a clyster! I have already told you, with all due respect to you, that elsewhere you have only charged me twenty sous; and twenty sous, in the language of apothecaries, means only ten sous. Here they are, these ten sous. Item, on the said day, a good detergent clyster, compounded of double catholicon rhubarb, honey of roses, and other ingredients, according to the prescription, to scour, work, and clear out the bowels of Mr. Argan, thirty sons. With your leave, ten sous. Item, on the said day, in the evening, a julep, hepatic, soporiferous, and somniferous, intended to promote the sleep of Mr. Argan, thirty-five sous. I do not complain of that, for it made me sleep very well. Ten, fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen sous six deniers. Item, on the 25th, a good purgative and corroborative mixture, composed of fresh cassia with Levantine senna and other ingredients, according to the prescription of Mr. Purgon, to expel Mr. Argan's bile, four francs. You are joking, Mr. Fleurant; you must learn to be reasonable with patients; Mr. Purgon never ordered you to put four francs. Tut! put three francs, if you please. Twenty; thirty sous.¹ Item, on the said day, a dose, anodyne and astringent, to make Mr. Argan sleep, thirty sous. Ten sous, Mr. Fleurant. Item, on the 26th, a carminative clyster to cure the flatulence of Mr. Argan, thirty sous. Item, the clyster repeated in the evening, as above, thirty sous. Ten sous, Mr. Fleurant. Item, on the 27th, a good mixture composed for the purpose of driving out the bad humours of Mr. Argan, three francs. Good; twenty and thirty sous; I am glad that you are reasonable. Item, on the 28th, a dose of clarified and edulcorated whey, to soften, lenify, temper, and refresh the blood of Mr. Argan, twenty sous. Good; ten sous. Item, a potion, cordial and preservative, composed of twelve grains of bezoar, syrup of citrons and pomegranates, and other ingredients, according to the prescription, five francs. Ah! Mr. Fleurant, gently, if you please; if you go on like that, no one will wish to be unwell. Be satisfied with four francs. Twenty, forty sous. Three and two are five, and five are ten, and ten are twenty. Sixty-three francs four sous six deniers. So that during this month I have taken one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight mixtures, and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve clysters; and last month there were twelve mixtures and twenty clysters. I am not astonished, therefore, that I am not so well this month as last. I shall speak to Mr. Purgon about it, so that he may set the matter right. Come, let all this be taken away. (He sees that no one comes, and that he is alone.) Nobody. It's no use, I am always left alone; there's no way of keeping them here. (He rings a hand-bell.) They don't hear, and my bell doesn't make enough noise. (He rings again.) No one. (He rings again.) Toinette! (He rings again.) It's just as if I didn't ring at all. You hussy! you jade! (He rings again.) Confound it all! (He rings and shouts.) Deuce take you, you wretch!

    SCENE II.——ARGAN, TOINETTE.

    Toi. Coming, coming.

    Arg. Ah! you jade, you wretch!

    Toi. (pretending to have knocked her head). Bother your impatience! You hurry me so much that I have knocked my head against the window-shutter.

    Arg. (angry). You vixen!

    Toi. (interrupting Argan). Oh!

    Arg. There is …

    Toi. Oh!

    Arg. For the last hour I …

    Toi. Oh!

    Arg. You have left me …

    Toi. Oh!

    Arg. Be silent! you baggage, and let me scold you.

    Toi. Well! that's too bad after what I have done to myself.

    Arg. You make me bawl till my throat is sore, you jade!

    Toi. And you, you made me break my head open; one is just as bad as the other; so, with your leave, we are quits.

    Arg. What! you hussy….

    Toi. If you go on scolding me, I shall cry.

    Arg. To leave me, you …

    Toi. (again interrupting Argan.) Oh!

    Arg. You would …

    Toi. (still interrupting him). Oh!

    Arg. What! shall I have also to give up the pleasure of scolding her?

    Toi. Well, scold as much as you please; do as you like.

    Arg. You prevent me, you hussy, by interrupting me every moment.

    Toi. If you have the pleasure of scolding, I surely can have that of crying. Let every one have his fancy; 'tis but right. Oh! oh!

    Arg. I must give it up, I suppose. Take this away, take this away, you jade. Be careful to have some broth ready, for the other that I am to take soon.

    Toi. This Mr. Fleurant and Mr. Purgon amuse themselves

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1