The Doctor in Spite of Himself - Molière

Summary

"Le Médecin malgré lui" (The Doctor in Spite of Himself) is a three-act comedy by Molière. The play centers on Sganarelle, a boisterous woodcutter who frequently beats his wife, Martine. In retaliation for a beating, Martine plots revenge. When two servants, Valère and Lucas, arrive seeking a doctor for their master Géronte's mysteriously mute daughter, Lucinde, Martine convinces them that her husband, Sganarelle, is a brilliant but eccentric physician who will only admit his profession and practice his art after receiving a good beating. Sganarelle is consequently thrashed into "admitting" he is a doctor and is dragged to Géronte's house.

Despite his complete lack of medical knowledge, Sganarelle manages to impress Géronte with his nonsensical Latin and absurd diagnoses. He discovers that Lucinde's muteness is a ruse to avoid marrying a man her father has chosen, as she is in love with Léandre. Sganarelle agrees to help Léandre, who disguises himself as an apothecary, gain access to Lucinde. Together, they orchestrate a plan for Lucinde to feign recovery of her voice, then use her newfound voice to declare her love for Léandre. Géronte is initially furious but eventually relents when Léandre reveals he has inherited a fortune, allowing the lovers to marry and saving Sganarelle from punishment for his deception.

Book Sections

Section 1 (Act I, Scene 1-5)

The play opens with Sganarelle, a woodcutter, and his wife, Martine, embroiled in a violent domestic dispute. Sganarelle beats Martine, who vows revenge. Soon after, Valère and Lucas, servants of the wealthy Géronte, arrive in search of a doctor to cure Géronte's daughter, Lucinde, who has mysteriously lost her speech. Martine seizes this opportunity. She tells the servants that her husband is a highly skilled doctor, but one who is extremely peculiar: he will deny his profession repeatedly and will only admit to being a physician and apply his skills after being thoroughly beaten. Convinced by Martine's story, Valère and Lucas find Sganarelle. Despite his vehement denials and pleas, they beat him until he finally "confesses" to being a doctor. Sganarelle, realizing the potential benefits of this new, albeit forced, profession, begins to embrace his role as a physician and is led to Géronte's house.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Sganarelle	A woodcutter, boisterous, quick-tempered, a drunkard, opportunistic, physically abusive towards his wife.	Initially wants to avoid work and continue drinking; later, driven by fear of more beatings and the potential gain from impersonating a doctor.
Martine	Sganarelle's wife, sharp-witted, vengeful, resilient.	Seeks revenge on Sganarelle for his physical abuse; desires to see him suffer consequences for his actions.
Valère	Géronte's servant, diligent, eager to please his master.	To find a competent doctor for his master's ailing daughter, Lucinde.
Lucas	Géronte's servant, a bumpkin, easily swayed, cousin to Martine.	To find a competent doctor for his master's ailing daughter, Lucinde; later, to protect his wife Jacqueline from Sganarelle's advances.

Section 2 (Act II, Scene 1-6)

At Géronte's house, he discusses his daughter Lucinde's strange ailment with Valère. Géronte explains that Lucinde has been mute for six months, ever since he announced his intention to marry her to Horace, a wealthy man. Shortly after, Sganarelle arrives, introduced as the renowned doctor. He immediately begins to spouting medical jargon and Latin phrases, much of which is nonsensical but sounds impressive to Géronte. Sganarelle makes a show of examining Lucinde, giving an absurd diagnosis that her inability to speak stems from her "loss of speech." He then prescribes an equally ridiculous remedy. Sganarelle also takes a liking to Jacqueline, Lucas's wife and the wet nurse, and flirts openly with her. While Sganarelle is performing his "medical duties," Léandre, Lucinde's secret lover, appears. He manages to speak to Sganarelle privately, explaining that Lucinde is feigning her illness to avoid the arranged marriage and that he wants to elope with her. Léandre offers Sganarelle a substantial bribe to help him. Sganarelle, always opportunistic, readily agrees. Léandre disguises himself as an apothecary, and Sganarelle presents him to Géronte as his assistant, stating that he needs an apothecary of Léandre's "skill" to administer his unique remedies.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Géronte	A wealthy nobleman, concerned father, somewhat gullible, authoritarian.	Wants his daughter, Lucinde, to recover her speech; desires to see her married to Horace for financial and social reasons.
Lucinde	Géronte's daughter, young, clever, feigning illness.	Wishes to avoid an arranged marriage; deeply in love with Léandre and desires to marry him.
Jacqueline	Lucas's wife, a wet nurse, sensible, flirtatious, loyal to her husband but amused by Sganarelle.	To care for Lucinde; initially amused by Sganarelle, but then recognizes his absurdity.
Léandre	Lucinde's lover, resourceful, determined, romantic.	To marry Lucinde and rescue her from the arranged marriage; willing to bribe to achieve his goal.

Section 3 (Act III, Scene 1-7)

Sganarelle and the disguised Léandre (as the apothecary) are with Lucinde. Sganarelle "administers" his "cure," which primarily involves Léandre taking Lucinde's pulse and whispering sweet nothings to her. Sganarelle then pretends to discover Lucinde's voice, declaring his treatment a success. Lucinde, having "recovered," immediately begins to speak, but her words are not what Géronte expects. She passionately declares her love for Léandre and vehemently refuses to marry Horace, expressing her desire to elope. Géronte is furious, realizing the deception. Sganarelle tries to calm Géronte, suggesting that perhaps Léandre can "cure" her again.

Géronte orders Sganarelle to silence Lucinde or he will be hanged. Lucas, having overheard conversations and witnessing Sganarelle's advances on Jacqueline, also expresses his suspicions about Sganarelle's true identity. Sganarelle becomes increasingly worried as his deception is revealed. Just as Géronte is about to have Sganarelle arrested for fraud, Léandre returns with news. He announces that his uncle has died, leaving him a substantial inheritance, making him far wealthier than Horace. Upon hearing this, Géronte's anger quickly dissipates, and he immediately approves of Léandre's marriage to Lucinde. Sganarelle is saved from punishment. Martine, Sganarelle's wife, reappears, ready to witness his triumph, unaware of the near-disaster. Sganarelle, now safe and even praised, assures her that he is grateful for the beating that made him a doctor, and all ends happily for the lovers, and unexpectedly well for the fake doctor.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Thibaut	An elderly peasant, concerned about his ailing wife.	Seeks medical help for his wife from the renowned doctor Sganarelle.
Perrin	Thibaut's son, a young peasant, loyal to his father.	Accompanies his father and supports his efforts to find a cure for his mother.

Literary Genre

"Le Médecin malgré lui" is a farce and a comedy of manners. It employs elements such as physical humor (slapstick), mistaken identity, absurd dialogue, and social satire to provoke laughter and critique societal norms.

Author Facts

• Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright, actor, and poet.
• He is widely regarded as one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature.
• Molière's work often satirized the hypocrisy of the French upper classes, the medical profession, religious zealots, and various social pretensions of his time.
• He was also the director of his own theatre company, known as the "Illustre Théâtre," and later the "Troupe du Roi" (King's Troupe).
• Despite his success, Molière faced significant opposition and controversy, especially from religious factions, due to the critical nature of his plays.
• He famously collapsed on stage during a performance of his last play, "Le Malade imaginaire" (The Imaginary Invalid), and died shortly after, refusing to renounce his profession as an actor, which was then seen as sacrilegious.

Morale and Curiosities

Morale:
The primary morale of "Le Médecin malgré lui" is a satirical commentary on the gullibility of society and the superficiality of authority. Molière highlights how outward appearances, impressive-sounding but meaningless jargon (like Sganarelle's Latin phrases), and the prestige associated with certain professions can easily sway public opinion, even in the absence of genuine competence or knowledge. It suggests that people are often more willing to believe a lie, especially if it is presented with confidence and carries an air of importance, than to apply critical thinking. The play also subtly critiques arranged marriages and champions the idea of love-based unions, albeit through comedic means.

Curiosities:

• Autobiographical elements: Some scholars believe Molière might have included personal grievances against doctors in "Le Médecin malgré lui" and other plays (like "Le Malade imaginaire"). Molière himself suffered from tuberculosis and often disagreed with the medical practices of his era, frequently portrayed as ineffectual or absurd in his comedies.
• Source Material: Molière drew inspiration from various sources for his plays, including commedia dell'arte and earlier French farces. The character of Sganarelle, a boisterous, often cowardly, and deceitful figure, appears in several of Molière's plays, each time in a different guise (e.g., as a husband, a valet, a doctor).
• Popularity: "Le Médecin malgré lui" was an immediate success upon its premiere in 1666 and remains one of Molière's most frequently performed plays. Its enduring appeal lies in its timeless humor and relatable themes of deception, love, and the questioning of authority.
• Molière's Acting: Molière himself likely played the role of Sganarelle, as he often performed the lead comedic roles in his own plays. His physical acting, combined with his sharp dialogue, would have made for a memorable performance.
• Latin Pastiche: Sganarelle's use of "medical" Latin is a brilliant comedic device. Molière, though learned, wasn't a doctor, and the Latin phrases Sganarelle spouts are mostly made-up gibberish designed to sound authoritative, highlighting the audience's (and the characters') ignorance. A famous example is his diagnosis: "Grammaticus, campus et umbra, coquo." (A grammarian, a field and a shadow, I cook.)