Molière
Born 1622
Doctor in Spite of Himself (Médecin Malgré Lui)
One of Molière’s several short plays - this one a shorter version of Le Médecin Volant - which ridiculed the medical field.
Following in the commedia dell'arte tradition the servant, Sganarelle, is often the main character (as well as his favorite role to perform). All the names and personality traits are taken directly from the commedia's stock characters.
SUMMARY
Sganarelle and his wife Martine are quarreling, as they often do, over his bad habits and she decides to play a trick on him.
ACT ONE
Scene 1: Sganarelle, Martine
Sganarelle is under attack by his wife Martine, who calls him a good-for-nothing. He gives her a smack on the bottom and she's furious.
Scene 2: Sganarelle, Martine, M. Robert
A passerby, Monsieur Robert, pulls them apart and reproaches Sganarelle. Martine tells him to mind his own business. Sganarelle takes a stick and chases him off. He tries to reconcile with his wife, who pretends to accept his apology.
Scene 3: Martine
Martine looks for a way to take revenge on her husband.
Scene 4: Lucas, Valère, Martine
Two servants Valère and Lucas, are searching for a doctor for their boss Géronte, whose daughter Lucinda is suffering from a rare disease where she has lost her voice. No physician has been able to find a remedy. He wants her to marry a suitor he’d approved, but she is in love with Léandre.
Valère and Lucas meet up with Martine, who finds a way to trick her husband and at the same time stall Lucinda’s marriage. She tells them she knows of a renowned physician (Sganarelle) who hides his talents. She tells them he’s cutting in the woods nearby, but they must beat him to tell the truth.
Scene 5: Lucas, Valère, Sganarelle
Lucas and Valère find Sganarelle and politely ask him to accompany them to Géronte’s house. At first he thinks they want to buy wood. When he realizes they think he’s a doctor he says they’re crazy and refuses to help them. The two servants hit him over the head (comically) and Sganarelle, obviously, agrees he’s a doctor.
ACT TWO
Scene 1: Géronte, Valère, Lucas, Jacqueline
Valère and Lucas tell Géronte the merits of the doctor they found. Lucas’ wife Jacqueline says no doctor can cure Lucinda of what she has. She should be marrying a man she loves, Léandre for example. We find out Léandre doesn’t have much money, but is lined for an inheritance from an uncle.
Scene 2: Valère, Sganarelle, Géronte, Lucas, Jacqueline
Sganarelle arrives and garbles nonsense pretending to be a doctor, and Valère explains he’s a bizarre physician. Géronte sends for Lucinda while Sganarelle tries to get Jacqueline to undress for an examination.
Scene 3: Sganarelle, Géronte, Lucas, Jacqueline
Sganarelle wants to touch Jacqueline’s tits in the name of medicine but Lucas intervenes.
Scene 4: Lucas, Géronte, Scganarelle, Valère, Lucinde, Jacqueline
Sganarelle asks Lucinda questions and sees she’s not responding. He feels her pulse and declares she’s dumb. Géronte is in awe. Sganarelle throws himself into a complicated half-latin diagnosis of the causes and tells him to give her bread and wine. Bread makes you thirsty and wine makes you talk.
He then turns his attention back to Jacqueline but she pushes him away. Géronte pays him for the consultation and Sganarelle is blown away how much money a doctor makes.
Scene 5: Sganarelle, Léandre
Sganarelle walks outside and finds Léandre, who asks him if he can act as his assistant so he can meet Lucinda. At first Sganarelle refuses until he sees the money Léandre offers. Léandre tells him Lucinda is faking to avoid getting married.
ACT THREE
Scene 1: Léandre, Sganarelle
Léandre asks Sganarelle to teach him some words in Latin to sound credible in front of Lucinda’s father, and Sganarelle tells him the proper clothes are enough. He admits he’s not a doctor, but plans to keep his new position.
Scene 2: Thibaut, Perrin, Sganarelle
Thibaut and his son Perrin ask Sganarelle to cure his wife who is agonizing. Sganarelle mimes he can’t hear anything unless he’s paid in advance. This taken care of he gives them a mixture and sends them off.
Scene 3: Jacqueline, Sganarelle, Lucas
Sganarelle courts Jacqueline, sympathizing she has such a terrible husband and encourages her to take him as her lover. They run off and see Luas who has listened to the conversation.
Scene 4: Géronte, Lucas
Géronte sends Lucas (who is cursing Sganarelle) to see how Lucinda is faring.
Scene 5: Sganarelle, Léandre, Géronte
Géronte complains his daughter is getting worse. Sganarelle tells him this means she’s getting better, and introduces Léandre as his assistant.
Scene 6: Lucinda, Valère, Géronte, Sganarelle, Léandre
Sganarelle waylays Géronte while Léandre and Lucinda talk. She then goes to her father and says she’d rather die than marry Horace. Géronte’s blood pressure goes up, Sganarelle tells him he has a remedy. While he goes into a complicated explanation he makes Léandre understand he and Lucinda must leave.
Scene 7: Géronte, Sganarelle
Sganarelle rambles while Géronte (not recognizing Léandre as the assistant) congratulates himself for separating his daughter from her lover.
Scene 8: Lucas, Géronte, Sganarelle
Lucas announces Lucinda has taken off with Sganarelle’s assistant who is no other than Léandre. Sgnarelle is accused of fraud and is set to be hanged.
Scene 9: Martine, Lucas, Sganarelle
Martine discovers her husband will die and stays by his side.
Scene 10: Géronte, Sganarelle, Martine, Lucas
Sganarelle offers an alternative to hanging but is not taken seriously.
Scene 11: Léandre, Lucinde, Jacqueline, Lucas, Géronte, Sganarelle, Martine
Léandre and Martine enter to everyone’s surprise to announce Léandre’s uncle dies and he inherits the promised fortune. Sganarelle is freed and pardons his wife.
Scene 4: Géronte, Lucas
Géronte sends Lucas (who is cursing Sganarelle) to see how Lucinda is faring.
Scene 5: Sganarelle, Léandre, Géronte
Géronte complains his daughter is getting worse. Sganarelle tells him this means she’s getting better, and introduces Léandre as his assistant.
Scene 6: Lucinda, Valère, Géronte, Sganarelle, Léandre
Sganarelle waylays Géronte while Léandre and Lucinda talk. She then goes to her father and says she’d rather die than marry Horace. Géronte’s blood pressure goes up, Sganarelle tells him he has a remedy. While he goes into a complicated explanation he makes Léandre understand he and Lucinda must leave.
Scene 7: Géronte, Sganarelle
Sganarelle rambles while Géronte (not recognizing Léandre as the assistant) congratulates himself for separating his daughter from her lover.
Scene 8: Lucas, Géronte, Sganarelle
Lucas announces Lucinda has taken off with Sganarelle’s assistant who is no other than Léandre. Sgnarelle is accused of fraud and is set to be hanged.
Scene 9: Martine, Lucas, Sganarelle
Martine discovers her husband will die and stays by his side.
Scene 10: Géronte, Sganarelle, Martine, Lucas
Sganarelle offers an alternative to hanging but is not taken seriously.
Scene 11: Léandre, Lucinde, Jacqueline, Lucas, Géronte, Sganarelle, Martine
Léandre and Martine enter to everyone’s surprise to announce Léandre’s uncle dies and he inherits the promised fortune. Géronte agrees to let Lucinda marry him, Sganarelle is freed and pardons his wife.
Monologue
SGANARELLE: No, I tell you; they made a doctor of me in spite of myself. I had never dreamt of being so learned as that, and all my studies came to an end in the lowest form. I can't imagine what put that whim into their heads; but when I saw that they were resolved to force me to be a doctor, I made up my mind to be one at the expense of those I might have to do with. Yet you would hardly believe how the error has spread abroad, and how everyone is obstinately determined to see a great doctor in me. They come to fetch me from right and left; and if things go on in that fashion, I think I had better stick to physic all my life. I find it the best of trades; for, whether we are right or wrong, we are paid equally well. We are never responsible for the bad work, and we cut away as we please in the stuff we work on. A shoe maker in making shoes can't spoil a scrap of leather without having to pay for it, but we can spoil a man without paying one farthing for the damage done. The blunders are not ours, and the fault is always that of the dead man. In short, the best part of this profession is, that there exists among the dead an honesty, a discretion that nothing can surpass; and never as yet has one been known to complain of the doctor who had killed him.
The Dramatic Works of Molière, Vol. II. Ed. Charles Heron Wall.
