45 pages • 1 hour read
MoliereThe Imaginary Invalid
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1673A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Research the field of practical medicine in the late 17th century when the play was written. How does this inform your understanding of the play and the logic of the characters? What do you think the playwright was trying to say about doctors and medicine?
Consider Dr. Lillicrap’s statement that he prefers to practice medicine for the middle class rather than the aristocracy. How is social class a significant issue in the play? What are some details from the text that suggest that Argan is middle class rather than aristocratic? How does this affect his behavior? Use details from the play to explain your response.
Consider the Eclogue/Prologue and interludes that take place outside Argan’s home and feature ensemble members instead of the main characters. What do you think is the purpose of these scenes? What do they add to the play? Choose one of these scenes to analyze closely.
Imagine that you are working on a contemporary production of The Imaginary Invalid. How would you make the play relevant to an audience today? What connections would you make? What still rings true, and what didn’t age well? How might you make changes to the text?
During the French Renaissance, when Molière was writing his plays, neoclassicism was the dominant literary and artistic movement. Research and explain this movement. How does The Imaginary Invalid either adhere to or break the rules of neoclassicism? Be specific, and use examples from the play.
How would you characterize the women in the play? How are they different from or similar to one another? What are they fighting for or against socially in terms of their own agency? What tactics do they take, and how are they successful or unsuccessful?
How do performances of performances function within the play? Consider the instances in which the characters are consciously watching performers, as well as the moments when they are performing to deceive each other. Choose three of these moments to analyze closely to discuss the use of performance and deception in shaping meaning in the play.
Consider Toinette’s performance as a 90-year-old doctor in Act III. How does this performance affect the course of the play? What does it say about the characters involved? What is the purpose of this moment?
In the original production of the play, Molière played the role of Argan. However, he was extremely ill with tuberculosis. He struggled through the fourth performance, fighting convulsions and even coughing up blood onstage, and he died a few hours later. How would this unique experience of Molière’s final performance change the character of Argan? How does it change the interpretation of the play if Argan is seriously ill?
How would you characterize the final interlude in the play, in which a troupe of actors performs Argan’s instatement as a doctor? What do you think is the purpose of this ceremony, and what does it mean for Argan? How does it change him as a character, and what do you think he will do with this “title” moving forward?
