The Imaginary Invalid

Argan, a wealthy hypochondriac convinced he is surrounded by illness, schemes to marry his daughter to a doctor’s dull son so that he will always have free medical care close at hand. His daughter loves another, his scheming second wife wants only his money, and his sharp-tongued maid is the one person who sees the whole comedy clearly. Molière’s last play mixes farce, song, and dance into a merciless satire of quack physicians and the fear of death, ending in a mock ceremony that crowns the joke. Famously, Molière was performing the title role when he collapsed and died soon after. It remains one of the funniest comedies of the French stage. Free to download as a PDF or EPUB.