an NAC English Theatre / Pleiades Theatre (Toronto) coproduction
Study Guide
THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ENGLISH THEATRE
PROGRAMMES FOR STUDENT AUDIENCES
2007-2008 SEASON
Peter Hinton
Artistic Director, English Theatre
This Study Guide was written and researched by Jim McNabb for the National Arts Centre, English
Theatre, September 2007. It may be used solely for educational purposes.
The National Arts Centre English Theatre values the feedback of teachers on the content and format of
its Study Guides. We would appreciate your comments on past Study Guides, on this current one, or
suggestions on ways to improve future Study Guides. Comments may be directed to Martina Kuska
either by email at mkuska@nac-cna.ca or by fax at (613) 943-1401.
Theatre5 Media Partner
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white wine, make them into an electuary [ground mixture] according to art. It purges hot rheums, and
takes away inflammations in wounds. I assure you the electuary works violently, and may safely be
given in clysters [enemas], and so you may give two or three drams at a time, if the patient be strong.
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delivered, her loins must be wrapped in the fleece of a newly killed black sheep, still warm
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Dying to be Sick Study Guide – page 15
>?
6
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[Argan has just demanded that his daughter Angélique (who is secretly in love
with handsome Cléante) marry the doctor son of a friend of his. Toinette, the
saucy maid speaks up.]
TOINETTE: Quoi! Monsieur, you could make such a ludicrous plan? And, with
your fortune, you’d go and marry your daughter to a doctor?
ARGAN: Oui. And what business is it of yours, Mademoiselle impudence?
TOINETTE: Mon Dieu! Gently. You launch straight into invective. Can we not
discuss this reasonably, between us, without flying off the handle? There
now, let us speak calmly. What, if you please, is your reason for such a
marriage?
ARGAN: My reason is, that finding myself in poor health and as sick as I am, I
want to give myself a son-in-law and some allies who are doctors, so that I
might count on their good support in combating my illness, and to have in
my family a source for the remedies that I require, and to be sure that I
have no less for my consultations and my prescriptions.
TOINETTE: Eh bien, now there is a reason, and isn’t it better to speak calmly in
this. But monsieur, honestly now; are you really sick?
ARGAN: What? Am I sick? You devil! Am I sick? The nerve!
TOINETTE: Eh bien, oui, monsieur, you are sick; there’s no disputing that. You are
very sick, I couldn’t agree more, and much sicker than you think. But your
daughter should marry someone for herself and since she is not sick, there
is no need to give her a doctor.
ARGAN: It’s for me that I am giving her a doctor, and any good, natural
daughter should be thrilled to marry whatever will benefit the health of
her father.
TOINETTE: Look, monsieur, may I, as a friend, offer some advice?
ARGAN: And what is this advice?
TOINETTE: To not even think about this marriage.
ARGAN: And why not?
TOINETTE: Because your daughter will never agree to it.
ARGAN: She won’t agree to it?
TOINETTE: No.
ARGAN: My daughter?
TOINETTE: Your daughter. She will tell you that she’ll have nothing to do with
monsieur Diafoirus, his son Thomas Diafoirus, nor all the Diafoiruses in the
world.
ARGAN: Well, I have lots to do with it, especially since this match is more
advantageous than you’d think. Monsieur Diafoirus has no other inheritor;
and, what’s more, Monsieur Purgon who has no wife or children, is leaving
him everything in favour of this marriage; and monsieur Purgon is a man
with an income of at least eight thousand pounds.
Dying to be Sick Study Guide – page 16
>?
6
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TOINETTE: To get that rich, he must have killed a lot of people.
ARGAN: Eight thousand pounds is nothing to sneeze at, and that’s not counting
the father’s fortune.
TOINETTE: Monsieur, that’s all well and good; but nevertheless: between the two
of us, I’d advise you to give her another husband; she’s just not made to
be Madame Diafoirus.
ARGAN: Yes, but that is what I want.
TOINETTE: Puh! Don’t say that.
ARGAN: What do you mean, don’t say that?
TOINETTE: Ah, no!
ARGAN: And why shouldn’t I say that?
TOINETTE: People will think you don’t know what you’re saying.
ARGAN: They can think what they like; I’m telling you, I gave my word and she’s
going to honour it.
TOINETTE: No. I’m sure she won’t do it.
ARGAN: I will make her do it.
TOINETTE: I’m telling you, she won’t.
ARGAN: She will so, or I’ll stick her in a convent.
TOINETTE: You?
ARGAN: Me.
TOINETTE: Hah.
ARGAN: What do you mean, hah?
TOINETTE: You won’t put her in a convent.
ARGAN: I won’t put her in a convent?
TOINETTE: No.
ARGAN: No?
TOINETTE: No.
ARGAN: Well! Isn’t this nice! I won’t put my daughter in a convent if that’s
what I want?
TOINETTE: I tell you no.
ARGAN: And who will stop me?
TOINETTE: You, yourself.
ARGAN: Me?
TOINETTE: Yes. You won’t have the heart.
ARGAN: I will, too.
TOINETTE: You’re only joking.
ARGAN: I am not joking.
TOINETTE: Fatherly love will get the better of you.
ARGAN: It will not.
Dying to be Sick Study Guide – page 17
>?
6
(
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TOINETTE: A few tears, arms thrown around your neck, a tender little “Oh, my
darling papa,” that’s all it will take to get you.
ARGAN: None of that will have any effect.
TOINETTE: Yes, yes.
ARGAN: I’m telling you, I will not budge.
TOINETTE: Nonsense!
ARGAN: You can’t say “nonsense!”
TOINETTE: Mon Dieu, I know you, and you are naturally good.
ARGAN (exploding): I am not good, and when I want to I can be downright
nasty!
TOINETTE: Gently, monsieur. Don’t forget that you are sick.
ARGAN: I absolutely command her to marry the man I’ve chosen.
TOINETTE: And I absolutely forbid her to do anything of the sort.
ARGAN: Where are we? The nerve, for a hussy of a servant to talk this way to
her master?
TOINETTE: When a master has no idea what he’s doing, a level-headed servant
has every right to straighten him out.
ARGAN (running after Toinette): Ah! The insolence! I’ll knock you silly!
TOINETTE (running from him): It’s my duty to oppose anything that might
dishonor you.
ARGAN (angrily chasing her around his chair, his stick in hand.): Come here,
come here, I’ll teach you to talk back!
TOINETTE (running and escaping to the opposite side of the chair from Argan): I
am making sure, as I should, that you don’t do anything stupid.
ARGAN: Bitch!
TOINETTE: No, I will never consent to this marriage.
ARGAN: Swine!
TOINETTE: I do not want her marrying your Thomas Diafoirus.
ARGAN: You putrid, rotten …
TOINETTE: She’ll obey me sooner than you.
Y ?
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[ARGAN: Angélique, won’t you tell that witch to stop?
ANGÉLIQUE: Oh, mon père, please, you’ll make yourself sick.
ARGAN: If you don’t make her stop, I’ll put my curse on you.]
TOINETTE: And if she obeys you, I’ll disinherit her.
ARGAN (throws himself into his chair, exhausted from the chase.): Ah! Ah! I
can’t take anymore. She’ll kill me!
Dying to be Sick Study Guide – page 18
:; !
* A9
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Dying to be Sick Study Guide – page 19
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