The Imaginary Invalid

Moliere's last play, written while the author himself was very ill, satirizing the medical profession. In order to obtain the constant medical attention he craves, the hypochondriac Argan is determined to marry his daughter Angelique to a pedantic medical student. Angelique, however, loves Cleante. In the end, Argan decides to take up the medical profession himself and consents to Angelique's wishes.

The Imaginary Invalid is a three-part comedy about a miser who imagines illnesses for himself, and whose doctor milks his hypochondria for everything he can get. Their mutual greed and dishonesty lead to their downfall. It was the last play Moliere ever wrote, and he collapsed whilst playing the hypochondriac, shortly before he died. The play originally included dance sequences and musical interludes.

First produced in 1673 and Molière's final play, The Hypochondriac is a scathingly funny lampoon on both hypochondria and the 'quack' medical profession. Argan is a perfectly healthy, wealthy gentleman, convinced that he is seriously ill. So obsessed is he with medicinal tinkerings and tonics that he is blind to the goings on in his own household. However, his most efficacious cure will not appear in a bottle or a bedpan, but in his sharp-tongued servant, who has a cunning plan to reveal the truth and open her master's eyes. Adapted by Roger McGough The Hypochondriac was produced by the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and English Touring Theatre and premiered on 19 June 2009.

Satirical comedy set in 17th century Paris. Hypochondriac who wants his daughter to marry a doctor in order to get free medical care.

"The Imaginary Invalid" by Molière (translated by Charles Heron Wall). Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

A hypochondriac, victimized by pompous physicians, tests the loyalty of a loving daughter and discovers the contempt of his scheming and greedy second wife. This classic comedy reveals the universal frailties of humanity.