Content Guideline
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Background of the author Moliere
Characters in the play
The interesting scenes
Common Sense – Is it important?
How is the play? Vulgar or Elevated?
Criticism on the medical profession
Techniques using
The Author Moliere
1622-1673
 Born in Paris
 one of France's best
known playwrights
 He is admired by the
King Louis XIV in 1658
and be granted the use
of a Paris Theatre.

Characters in the play
 Argan
 Typical Hypochondriac
 Treat different people
with different attitude
 Obey to every words
that the doctor’s say
 Very realistic
Characters in the play
 Toinette
 Very clever
 Helps Angelique and
Cleante much
 Attitude varies when
treating her master
throughout the play, by
meeting different
environment
 Treat her mistress bad
Characters in the play

Angélique
Argan’s daughter
 Obedient (P.216)
 Friendly, good relationship
with Toinette
 Wish having marriage
 Not greed on money (P.226)
 Strong determination
 Reasonable person

Characters in the play

Cléante
In love with Angélique
 Responsible and faithful
 Patient and brave, try
hard to persuede Argan
 Intelligent on
extemporized opera
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Gentle and polite
Characters in the play

Louison
 Argan’s
younger
daughter
 Clever and
active – make
fun with Argan
 Support
Angelique
 Obedient
Characters in the play

Béralde
 Argan’s
brother
 Care and respect Argan
 Support and help
Angelique & Cleante
 Good communication
skills
 Sense of justice– not
be blinded on medical
profession
Characters in the play

Active and funny

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Make an interesting
idea – the ceremony
of the conferment of
a doctor’s degree
Thus, ease up the
family atmosphere
Characters in the play

Beline
 Argan’s
second wife
 Sinister
 Hypocritical
 Greedy
for money
 Realistic
Characters in the play

Sweet honeyed words
‘My love!’
 ‘My dearest!’
 ‘Poor little hubby!’
 ‘Poor boy!’
 ‘Oh dear!’

Characters in the play

Purgon
 Argan’s
doctor
 Blindly believe in medicine
 Lack of profession
 (P.263)
foretell that within four days you’ll be in an
incurable condition.”
 “From bradypepsia into dyspepsia.”
 “From dyspepsia into apepsia.”
 “From apepsia into diarrhoea and lientery……”
 “I
Characters in the play

Diafoirus
 A doctor
 Purgon’s brother-inlaw
 Proud of himself
 Proud of his son –
Thomas
Characters in the play
 Thomas
 Purgon’s
nephew
 A typical noble
intellectual
 E.g: “Nego
consequentiam”
 Clumsy
Characters in the play
 Fleurant
 An apothecary
 Serious (P. 261)
no business to be making fun of medicine
and wasting my time”
 “You’ve
 Obedient
(P. 262)
shall tell Mr. Purgon how I’ve been prevent from
carrying out his orders.”
 “I
 Blindly
believe in medicine
The interesting Scenes
Reading bill (at first) / slippery-slope
fallacy (p.263)/ Toinette be a doctor
(p.265)/ Argan pretend dead (p.270)/
Louison pretend dead (p.251 top)
 These are exaggerating/ suit nowadays
situation/ laugh at his lack of common
sense

Common Sense is important?
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Strongly recommended by Moilere is this drama
Many people (especially noble)  Appeal to
authority
Doctors are not reliable (not professional enough)
Therefore  anti-traditional since Authority is the
common phenomenon is the past society
Common Sense may even safe the life
Do you think this play is vulgar?

E.g.
 “What, you hussy !”
 “Be quiet, you slut !”
 “You impudent
creature…..”
 “You baggage !”
Elevated Speeches
 Thomas
to Angelique (P.239)
“………Permit me then, madam, to
offer this very day upon the alter of
your charms a heart which seeks no
other glory than that of being ever
your obedient, humble, and devoted
servant and spouse.”
What is your perception?
 To
mock the nobleman
 Enlarge the frailties
 Sympathy
Criticism on medical profession

Criticize the authority of the physicians
From the Alternative Prologue (P.209),
‘Vain and foolish doctors you
Have no balm can cure my ills.
Not your jargon, nor your skills
Can relieve my heart’s despair?’
 The medical skills were not perfect during 17th century, as
the anatomy hadn’t been exposed.
 Most of the doctors treated patients with the superficial
medical knowledge only.
 They cared the money more important than the patient’s
health, without the morality of medicine.
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Techniques Using
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Prologue
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Alternative Prologue (P.209)
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Introduction to the comedy of ‘The Imaginary Invalid’,
through the joy, by music and dances.
It’s a pattern for comedy during 17th century.
Bring out the title
‘Only with imagined ills;
For all the rest they are invalid .’
Act One – Argan’s Soliloquy (P.211)

Bring the readers to his thinking world.
Techniques Using
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First Interlude (P.227)
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Second Interlude (P.253)
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Reveal that the ‘Gentleman’ look down on the humble
servant.
Summarize what the play was happened
Language
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Contrast between the nobles and populace, by the rude
words and the elevated words.
Techniques Using
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Sing and echo at the same time (P.214)
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Speak at the same time , interrupting each
other (P.237-238)
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If the conversation end up by girl, it’s called
‘Confidante’, otherwise, be called ‘Confidan’.
The sentence with ‘…’
Finale
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Summarize the overall content.
Questions & Answer
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Are there any similarities between the
maid in “Imaginary Invalid” and the maid
in “Romeo & Juliet”?