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Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme / Les Femmes Savantes / Le Malade Imaginaire
"Maître de philosophie : ... tout ce qui n'est point prose est vers ; et tout ce qui n'est point vers est prose.Monsieur Jourdain : Et comme l'on parle qu'est-ce que c'est donc que cela ?Maître de philosophie : De la prose.Monsieur Jourdain : Quoi ? quand je dis : "Nicole, apportez-moi mes pantoufles, et me donnez mon bonnet de nuit", c'est de la prose ?Maître de philosophie : Oui, Monsieur.Monsieur Jourdain : Par ma foi ! il y a plus de quarante ans que je dis de la prose sans que j'en susse rien, et je vous suis le plus obligé du monde de m'avoir appris cela."(Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, acte II, scène 4).
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1670
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Molière
4,613 books1,502 followersSophisticated comedies of French playwright Molière, pen name of Jean Baptiste Poquelin, include
Tartuffe
(1664),
The Misanthrope
(1666), and
The Bourgeois Gentleman
(1670).
French literary figures, including Molière and Jean de la Fontaine, gathered at Auteuil, a favorite place.
People know and consider Molière, stage of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also an actor of the greatest masters in western literature. People best know l'Ecole des femmes (The School for Wives), l'Avare ou l'École du mensonge (The Miser), and le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid) among dramas of Molière.
From a prosperous family, Molière studied at the Jesuit Clermont college (now lycée Louis-le-Grand) and well suited to begin a life in the theater. While 13 years as an itinerant actor helped to polish his abilities, he also began to combine the more refined elements with ccommedia dell'arte.
Through the patronage of the brother of Louis XIV and a few aristocrats, Molière procured a command performance before the king at the Louvre. Molière performed a classic of [authore:Pierre Corneille] and le Docteur amoureux (The Doctor in Love), a farce of his own; people granted him the use of Salle du Petit-Bourbon, a spacious room, appointed for theater at the Louvre. Later, people granted the use of the Palais-Royal to Molière. In both locations, he found success among the Parisians with les Précieuses ridicules (The Affected Ladies), l'École des maris</i> (<i>The School for Husbands</i>), and <i>[book:l'École des femmes (The School for Wives). This royal favor brought a pension and the title "Troupe du Roi" (the troupe of the king). Molière continued as the official author of court entertainments.
Molière received the adulation of the court and Parisians, but from moralists and the Church, his satires attracted criticisms. From the Church, his attack on religious hypocrisy roundly received condemnations, while people banned performance of Don Juan . From the stage, hard work of Molière in so many theatrical capacities began to take its toll on his health and forced him to take a break before 1667.
From pulmonary tuberculosis, Molière suffered. In 1673 during his final production of le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), a coughing fit and a haemorrhage seized him as Argan, the hypochondriac. He finished the performance but collapsed again quickly and died a few hours later. In time in Paris, Molière completely reformed.
French literary figures, including Molière and Jean de la Fontaine, gathered at Auteuil, a favorite place.
People know and consider Molière, stage of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also an actor of the greatest masters in western literature. People best know l'Ecole des femmes (The School for Wives), l'Avare ou l'École du mensonge (The Miser), and le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid) among dramas of Molière.
From a prosperous family, Molière studied at the Jesuit Clermont college (now lycée Louis-le-Grand) and well suited to begin a life in the theater. While 13 years as an itinerant actor helped to polish his abilities, he also began to combine the more refined elements with ccommedia dell'arte.
Through the patronage of the brother of Louis XIV and a few aristocrats, Molière procured a command performance before the king at the Louvre. Molière performed a classic of [authore:Pierre Corneille] and le Docteur amoureux (The Doctor in Love), a farce of his own; people granted him the use of Salle du Petit-Bourbon, a spacious room, appointed for theater at the Louvre. Later, people granted the use of the Palais-Royal to Molière. In both locations, he found success among the Parisians with les Précieuses ridicules (The Affected Ladies), l'École des maris</i> (<i>The School for Husbands</i>), and <i>[book:l'École des femmes (The School for Wives). This royal favor brought a pension and the title "Troupe du Roi" (the troupe of the king). Molière continued as the official author of court entertainments.
Molière received the adulation of the court and Parisians, but from moralists and the Church, his satires attracted criticisms. From the Church, his attack on religious hypocrisy roundly received condemnations, while people banned performance of Don Juan . From the stage, hard work of Molière in so many theatrical capacities began to take its toll on his health and forced him to take a break before 1667.
From pulmonary tuberculosis, Molière suffered. In 1673 during his final production of le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), a coughing fit and a haemorrhage seized him as Argan, the hypochondriac. He finished the performance but collapsed again quickly and died a few hours later. In time in Paris, Molière completely reformed.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 1, 2025
J’aime bien lire Molière - je trouve ça drôle et fin - mais ça ne m’émerveille pas dsl
September 14, 2025
Le Malade Imaginaire by Moliere
From a Positive Psychology Perspective, checking the list of Jacob Socol
The Imaginary Invalid is a famous comedy to which I listened again this morning, trying to see what the positive message might be.
At first glance, apart from the laughter, there couldn’t be much to learn from a man who sees himself as sick, all the time. And yet, there are some possible Optimistic conclusions.
Argan derives pleasure from finding new signs of…disease.
If we take the twelve things happy people do differently, by Jacob Socol
1. Express gratitude- Argan is grateful whenever he finds a new symptom
2. Cultivate optimism- he looks forward to a new pain
3. Avoid social comparison – the Imaginary Invalid thinks he is worse off than the rest
4. Practice acts of kindness – Argan is not kind to anyone, except Diafoirus
5. Nurture relationships- he is keen to talk to…his doctor
6. Develop strategies for coping – the plan is to use all kinds of (fake) remedies
7. Learn to forgive – that happens at one stage, but for most of the time – Unforgiven
8. Increase flow – our hero is ecstatic when…he is sick (in his perceptions)
9. Savor life’s joys – for a twisted mindset, it’s possible to enjoy…pain
10. Commit to your goals- a goal can be to get to be an…invalid
11. Practice spirituality – Argan is praying for appreciation of his wretched state
12. Take care of your body – this is the whole point- that is all the Imaginary Invalid does…he goes so far as to plan to marry his daughter, Angelique to Diafoirus, in order to have a (wicked) doctor in the house.
Moliere seems to have been an extraordinary man, not just an exceptional play writer. I have seen a film where he was played by Romain Duris a great actor. Both the script and the marvelous interpretation have helped create in my mind the image of a social, affable, humorous (confirmed by the comedies), attractive personality.
I have also had the chance to see the late Luis de Funes in the Imaginary Invalid- what a treat.
From a Positive Psychology Perspective, checking the list of Jacob Socol
The Imaginary Invalid is a famous comedy to which I listened again this morning, trying to see what the positive message might be.
At first glance, apart from the laughter, there couldn’t be much to learn from a man who sees himself as sick, all the time. And yet, there are some possible Optimistic conclusions.
Argan derives pleasure from finding new signs of…disease.
If we take the twelve things happy people do differently, by Jacob Socol
1. Express gratitude- Argan is grateful whenever he finds a new symptom
2. Cultivate optimism- he looks forward to a new pain
3. Avoid social comparison – the Imaginary Invalid thinks he is worse off than the rest
4. Practice acts of kindness – Argan is not kind to anyone, except Diafoirus
5. Nurture relationships- he is keen to talk to…his doctor
6. Develop strategies for coping – the plan is to use all kinds of (fake) remedies
7. Learn to forgive – that happens at one stage, but for most of the time – Unforgiven
8. Increase flow – our hero is ecstatic when…he is sick (in his perceptions)
9. Savor life’s joys – for a twisted mindset, it’s possible to enjoy…pain
10. Commit to your goals- a goal can be to get to be an…invalid
11. Practice spirituality – Argan is praying for appreciation of his wretched state
12. Take care of your body – this is the whole point- that is all the Imaginary Invalid does…he goes so far as to plan to marry his daughter, Angelique to Diafoirus, in order to have a (wicked) doctor in the house.
Moliere seems to have been an extraordinary man, not just an exceptional play writer. I have seen a film where he was played by Romain Duris a great actor. Both the script and the marvelous interpretation have helped create in my mind the image of a social, affable, humorous (confirmed by the comedies), attractive personality.
I have also had the chance to see the late Luis de Funes in the Imaginary Invalid- what a treat.
August 10, 2014
J'avais lu Les Femmes savantes au Cégep, mais jamais les deux autres. Je les ai maintenant lues toutes les trois, et ce fut très divertissant. C'est pas parce que j'ai étudié en littérature anglaise qu'il faut que je me prive de lire du Molière!
"Madame, ce m'est une gloire bien grande de me voir assez fortuné pour être si heureux que d'avoir le bonheur que vous ayez eu la bonté de m'accorder la grâce de me faire l'honneur de m'honorer de la faveur de votre présence."
"Madame, ce m'est une gloire bien grande de me voir assez fortuné pour être si heureux que d'avoir le bonheur que vous ayez eu la bonté de m'accorder la grâce de me faire l'honneur de m'honorer de la faveur de votre présence."
May 23, 2024
Return in French class
Pleasure
Pleasure
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews