Content Guideline

1. Content Guideline • Background of the author Moliere • Characters in the play • The interesting scenes • Common Sense – Is it important? • How is the play? Vulgar or Elevated? • Criticism on the medical profession • Techniques using

2. The Author Moliere • 1622-1673 • Born in Paris • one of France's best known playwrights • He is admired by the King Louis XIV in 1658 and be granted the use of a Paris Theatre.

3. Characters in the play • Argan • Typical Hypochondriac • Treat different people with different attitude • Obey to every words that the doctor’s say • Very realistic

4. Characters in the play • Toinette • Very clever • Helps Angelique and Cleante much • Attitude varies when treating her master throughout the play, by meeting different environment • Treat her mistress bad

5. Characters in the play • Angélique • Argan’s daughter • Obedient (P.216) • Friendly, good relationship with Toinette • Wish having marriage • Not greed on money (P.226) • Strong determination • Reasonable person

6. Characters in the play • Cléante • In love with Angélique • Responsible and faithful • Patient and brave, try hard to persuede Argan • Intelligent on extemporized opera • Gentle and polite

7. Characters in the play • Louison • Argan’s younger daughter • Clever and active – make fun with Argan • Support Angelique • Obedient

8. Characters in the play • Béralde • Argan’s brother • Care and respect Argan • Support and help Angelique & Cleante • Good communication skills • Sense of justice– not be blinded on medical profession

9. Characters in the play • Active and funny • Make an interesting idea – the ceremony of the conferment of a doctor’s degree • Thus, ease up the family atmosphere

10. Characters in the play • Beline • Argan’s second wife • Sinister • Hypocritical • Greedy for money • Realistic

11. Characters in the play • Sweet honeyed words • ‘My love!’ • ‘My dearest!’ • ‘Poor little hubby!’ • ‘Poor boy!’ • ‘Oh dear!’

12. Characters in the play • Purgon • Argan’s doctor • Blindly believe in medicine • Lack of profession • (P.263) • “I foretell that within four days you’ll be in an incurable condition.” • “From bradypepsia into dyspepsia.” • “From dyspepsia into apepsia.” • “From apepsia into diarrhoea and lientery……”

13. Characters in the play • Diafoirus • A doctor • Purgon’s brother-in-law • Proud of himself • Proud of his son – Thomas

14. Characters in the play • Thomas • Purgon’s nephew • A typical noble intellectual • E.g: “Nego consequentiam” • Clumsy

15. Characters in the play • Fleurant • An apothecary • Serious (P. 261) • “You’ve no business to be making fun of medicine and wasting my time” • Obedient (P. 262) • “I shall tell Mr. Purgon how I’ve been prevent from carrying out his orders.” • Blindly believe in medicine

16. The interesting Scenes • Reading bill (at first) / slippery-slope fallacy (p.263)/ Toinette be a doctor (p.265)/ Argan pretend dead (p.270)/ Louison pretend dead (p.251 top) • These are exaggerating/ suit nowadays situation/ laugh at his lack of common sense

17. Common Sense is important? • Strongly recommended by Moilere is this drama • Many people (especially noble)  Appeal to authority • Doctors are not reliable (not professional enough) • Therefore  anti-traditional since Authority is the common phenomenon is the past society • Common Sense may even safe the life

18. Do you think this play is vulgar? • E.g. • “What, you hussy !” • “Be quiet, you slut !” • “You impudent creature…..” • “You baggage !”

19. Elevated Speeches • Thomas to Angelique (P.239) • “………Permit me then, madam, to offer this very day upon the alter of your charms a heart which seeks no other glory than that of being ever your obedient, humble, and devoted servant and spouse.”

20. What is your perception? • To mock the nobleman • Enlarge the frailties • Sympathy

21. Criticism on medical profession • Criticize the authority of the physicians • From the Alternative Prologue (P.209), ‘Vainand foolish doctors you Have no balm can cure my ills. Not your jargon, nor your skills Can relieve my heart’s despair?’ • The medical skills were not perfect during 17th century, as the anatomy hadn’t been exposed. • Most of the doctors treated patients with the superficial medical knowledge only. • They cared the money more important than the patient’s health, without the morality of medicine.

22. Techniques Using • Prologue • Introduction to the comedy of ‘The Imaginary Invalid’, through the joy, by music and dances. • It’s a pattern for comedy during 17th century. • Alternative Prologue (P.209) • Bring out the title ‘Only with imagined ills; For all the rest they are invalid .’ • Act One – Argan’s Soliloquy (P.211) • Bring the readers to his thinking world.

23. Techniques Using • First Interlude (P.227) • Reveal that the ‘Gentleman’ look down on the humble servant. • Second Interlude (P.253) • Summarize what the play was happened • Language • Contrast between the nobles and populace, by the rude words and the elevated words.

24. Techniques Using • Sing and echo at the same time (P.214) • If the conversation end up by girl, it’s called ‘Confidante’, otherwise, be called ‘Confidan’. • Speak at the same time , interrupting each other (P.237-238) • The sentence with ‘…’ • Finale • Summarize the overall content.

25. Questions & Answer • Are there any similarities between the maid in “Imaginary Invalid” and the maid in “Romeo & Juliet”?