L'Amour médecin
Encyclopedia
L'Amour médecin is a French comedy written by Molière
. It was presented for the first time by order of King Louis XIV
at Versailles
on September 22, 1665.
, than to save the patient. Any alteration from path that would ruin their reputation. Always out to make money, they are really just charlatans
as they have no useful knowledge of medicine.
, a legendary remedy that can cure any illness, but the audience never learns if he gives this to Lucinde.
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
. It was presented for the first time by order of King Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
on September 22, 1665.
Sganarelle
A bourgeois whose attention span is limited to his own egoistic ambitions, Sganarelle is blind to his daughter's love life.Lisette
Lucinde's maid who acts as her advisor. She is not afraid to talk back to her master (Sgaranelle) or to show her disdain for doctors.Doctors
The doctors are all based upon real life doctors who lived during the 17th century. All are the same in the fact that they always try to save face and generally act foolishly. However, when it comes to a diagnosis they always tend to disagree. They feel it is more important to follow the rules laid by the Ancients, whose numbers include HippocratesHippocrates
Hippocrates of Cos or Hippokrates of Kos was an ancient Greek physician of the Age of Pericles , and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine...
, than to save the patient. Any alteration from path that would ruin their reputation. Always out to make money, they are really just charlatans
Charlatan
A charlatan is a person practicing quackery or some similar confidence trick in order to obtain money, fame or other advantages via some form of pretense or deception....
as they have no useful knowledge of medicine.
- Monsieur Tomès: Favours bloodletting as a treatment
- Monsieur Des Fonanadrès: Favours enemas as a treatment
- Monseiur Macroton: When speaking, draws out each word in an exaggerated fashion
- Monseiur Bahys: Speaks with a stammer
- Monsieur Filerin: A powerful doctor who is well respected. Tells Macroton and Des Fonanadres not to fight in front of other people because it makes them suspicious and less respectful of the medical profession.
Minor
- Aminte: Neighbour of Sganarelle and Lucinde.
- Lucrèce: Niece of Sganarelle and cousin of Lucinde.
- Monsieur Josse: Friend of Sganarelle and a jeweller.
- Monsieur Guillaume: Friend of Sganarelle and a carpet merchantMerchantA merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
.
Acte I
The play starts off with Lucinde who is inexplicably depressed. Desperate to cheer her up, Sganarelle offers her whatever she wishes. When she declares that she wants to be married he becomes angry, refuses to grant her desire, and storms off. Later on in a monologue, Sganarelle admits that his reason for refusing Lucinde's request is because he cannot stand the thought of her with another man, a man who would also inherit Sganarelle's fortune. Lisette and Lucinde decide that they will play a trick on Sganarelle to show him the errors of his ways. At the end of the first scene, we have Lucinde pretending to be ill, forcing Sganarelle to call for doctors.Acte II
The doctors have all arrived and they talk about their daily travels. Lisette enters and argues with Tomès about a former patient of his who is now dead. Instead of talking about what is wrong with Lucinde, the doctors talk about current events and argue whose mule is faster. Here the audience sees that they care more for following procedure than actually saving a life. As the doctors get around to the diagnosis, Tomès and Des Fonanadrès disagree on the cure for Lucinde. The former advocates a blood letting, whereas the latter is preaching the use of an emetic. As the two storm away, Bahys and Macroton inform Sganarelle that despite their "best" efforts his daughter will still die. They console him with the knowledge that his daughter would have died following the rules. As an act of desperation, Sganarelle visits a street charlatan to purchase OrviétanOrvietan
Orvietan or orviétan was a medical concoction popular during the 17th and 18th century. It was used as a panacea against poisonings with criminal intent, as well as against mushroom poisonings, snakebite, scorpion stings, bites by rabid animals and against the plague.- Origins :Gerolamo Ferranti...
, a legendary remedy that can cure any illness, but the audience never learns if he gives this to Lucinde.