The Physican in Spite of Himself aka A Doctor Despite Himself: Le Médecin Malgré Lui
By Molière
()
About this ebook
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin is better known to us by his stage name of Molière. He was born in Paris, to a prosperous well-to-do family on 15th January 1622.
In 1631, his father purchased from the court of Louis XIII the posts of "valet of the King's chamber and keeper of carpets and upholstery" which Molière assumed in 1641. The benefits included only three months' work per annum for which he was paid 300 livres and also provided a number of lucrative contracts.
However in June 1643, at 21, Molière abandoned this for his first love; a career on the stage. He partnered with the actress Madeleine Béjart, to found the Illustre Théâtre at a cost of 630 livres.
Unfortunately despite their enthusiasm, effort and ambition the troupe went bankrupt in 1645.
Molière and Madeleine now began again and spent the next dozen years touring the provincial circuit. His journey back to the sacred land of Parisian theatres was slow but by 1658 he performed in front of the King at the Louvre.
From this point Molière both wrote and acted in a large number of productions that caused both outrage and applause. His many attacks on social conventions, the church, hypocrisy and other areas whilst also writing a large number of comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets are the stuff of legend.
‘Tartuffe’, ‘The Misanthrope’, ‘The Miser’ and ‘The School for Wives’ are but some of his classics.
His death was as dramatic as his life. Molière suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis. One evening he collapsed on stage in a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging while performing in the last play he'd written, in which, ironically, he was playing the hypochondriac Argan, in ‘The Imaginary Invalid’.
Molière insisted on completing his performance.
Afterwards he collapsed again with another, larger haemorrhage and was taken home. Priests were sent for to administer the last rites. Two priests refused to visit. A third arrived too late. On 17th February 1673, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, forever to be known as Molière, was pronounced dead in Paris. He was 51.
Molière
Molière was a French playwright, actor, and poet. Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and universal literature, his extant works include comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more.
Read more from Molière
The Misanthrope: A Play Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/521 plays by Molière in English translation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDon Juan: Comedy in Five Acts, 1665 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Misanthrope (Translated by Henri Van Laun with an Introduction by Eleanor F. Jourdain) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tartuffe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The School for Wives: L'École des Femmes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTartuffe or The Hypocrite Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Harvard Classics: All 71 Volumes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe School for Husbands Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Tartuffe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmphitryon, By Molière Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Misanthrope Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tartuffe and Other Plays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The School for Wives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Misanthrope Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Misanthrope Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Amphitryon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tartuffe Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Pretentious Young Ladies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Impostures of Scapin: Les Fourberies de Scapin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSganarelle or, The Self-Deceived Husband aka The Imaginary Cuckold: Sganarelle ou Le Cocu Imaginaire Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Misanthrope and Other Plays Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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The Physican in Spite of Himself aka A Doctor Despite Himself - Molière
The Physician in Spite of Himself by Molière
aka A Doctor Despite Himself
Le Médecin Malgré Lui
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin is better known to us by his stage name of Molière. He was born in Paris, to a prosperous well-to-do family on 15th January 1622.
In 1631, his father purchased from the court of Louis XIII the posts of valet of the King's chamber and keeper of carpets and upholstery
which Molière assumed in 1641. The benefits included only three months' work per annum for which he was paid 300 livres and also provided a number of lucrative contracts.
However in June 1643, at 21, Molière abandoned this for his first love; a career on the stage. He partnered with the actress Madeleine Béjart, to found the Illustre Théâtre at a cost of 630 livres.
Unfortunately despite their enthusiasm, effort and ambition the troupe went bankrupt in 1645.
Molière and Madeleine now began again and spent the next dozen years touring the provincial circuit. His journey back to the sacred land of Parisian theatres was slow but by 1658 he performed in front of the King at the Louvre.
From this point Molière both wrote and acted in a large number of productions that caused both outrage and applause. His many attacks on social conventions, the church, hypocrisy and other areas whilst also writing a large number of comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets are the stuff of legend.
‘Tartuffe’, ‘The Misanthrope’, ‘The Miser’ and ‘The School for Wives’ are but some of his classics.
His death was as dramatic as his life. Molière suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis. One evening he collapsed on stage in a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging while performing in the last play he'd written, in which, ironically, he was playing the hypochondriac Argan, in ‘The Imaginary Invalid’.
Molière insisted on completing his performance.
Afterwards he collapsed again with another, larger haemorrhage and was taken home. Priests were sent for to administer the last rites. Two priests refused to visit. A third arrived too late. On 17th February 1673, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, forever to be known as Molière, was pronounced dead in Paris. He was 51.
Index of Contents
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
SCENE: A Forest
THE PHYSICIAN IN SPITE OF HIMSELF aka A DOCTOR DESPITE HIMSELF (Le Médecin Malgré Lui)
ACT I
SCENE I
SCENE II
SCENE III
SCENE IV
SCENE V
SCENE VI
ACT II (A Room in Géronte’s House)
SCENE I
SCENE I
SCENE II
SCENE III
SCENE IV
SCENE V
SCENE VI
SCENE VII
SCENE VIII
SCENE IX
ACT III (A Spot Near Géronte’s House)
SCENE I
SCENE II
SCENE III
SCENE IV
SCENE V
SCENE VI
SCENE VII
SCENE VIII
SCENE IX
SCENE X
SCENE XI
MOLIÈRE – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY
MOLIÈRE – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Géronte, father to Lucinde.
Léandre, Lucinde’s lover.
Sganarelle, husband to Martine.
M. Robert, Sganarelle’s neighbour.
Lucas, husband to Jacqueline.
Valère, Géronte’s servant.
Thibaut, peasants
Perrin, his son, peasants,
Lucinde, Géronte’s daughter.
Martine, Sganarelle’s wife.
Jacqueline, nurse at Géronte’s, and Lucas’ wife.
SCENE: A Forest
ACT I
SCENE I
SGANARELLE, MARTINE. Appearing on the stage, quarrelling.
SGANARELLE
No; I tell you that I will do nothing of the kind, and that it is for me to speak, and to be master.
MARTINE
And I tell you that I will have you live as I like, and that I am not married to you to put up with your vagaries.
SGANARELLE
Oh! what a nuisance it is to have a wife! and Aristotle is perfectly right in saying that a woman is worse than a demon.
MARTINE
Look at Master Clever, with his silly Aristotle!
SGANARELLE
Yes, Master Clever. Find me another faggot-binder who can argue upon things as I can, who has served a famous physician for six years, and who, when only a boy, knew his grammar by heart!
MARTINE
Plague on the arrant fool.
SGANARELLE
Plague on the slut!
MARTINE
Cursed be the hour and the day when I took it into my head to say yes.
SGANARELLE
Cursed be the cuckold of a notary that made me sign my own ruination.
MARTINE
Certainly it well becomes you to complain