The Imaginary Invalid

The protagonist and the title character, Argan, believes he is constantly ill, which drives the action of the play forward. He is very wealthy as well as gullible, which makes him easy prey for his doctors and his wife. Argan’s primary goal is to receive and hoard as much medical treatment as possible. He is convinced, possibly by himself but more likely by the doctors who profit off him, that he is chronically ill. His name sounds like argent, the French word for money, which is what doctors and Béline see when they look at him. Argan believes that he holds power as the head of the household, but his imaginary illnesses weaken his authority, relegating his existence to his room and pulling his attention toward his medical ministrations. Argan is a foolish man who believes that he is seriously ill but sometimes forgets it and doesn’t recognize the proof that he does not have chronic illnesses. He views his family as property, believing that his wife is obedient and that it’s his right to marry his daughter off for his own gain or banish both of his daughters to a convent for no reason. He doesn’t recognize that his wife is manipulating him or that his daughters obey him only out of love.