The Imaginary Invalid

"The Imaginary Invalid" by Molière is a funny play from the 1600s that tells the tale of Argan, a man who thinks he's always sick, and the crazy things that happen with his family, doctors, and helpers, showing us ideas about true love, medicine, and how silly his fake sickness is. At the start, we see Argan worrying a lot about how much money he spends on doctors, which shows how much he thinks about his health. Even though he’s convinced he’s ill, he’s also funny because he doesn’t understand much about real sickness, and he doesn't want to believe he's not really sick. We also meet Toinette, his smart servant, who makes fun of his strange ideas but also helps his daughter Angélique, who is in love with someone named Cléante. This mix of people and their relationships makes things complicated, especially when Argan decides Angélique should marry a doctor named Thomas Diafoirus, even though she doesn't want to. As the story goes on, we laugh at the funny conversations and tricks as the characters argue about Argan's bad plans and what will happen to Angélique.