Molière's play The Imaginary Invalid serves as a biting critique of the medical profession, a recurring theme in many of his works. The play consistently mocks the pompous attitude, excessive use of Latin, incompetence, ignorance, and self-centeredness of doctors, traits easily recognized by audiences of his time. Characters like Monsieur Purgon and Monsieur Fleurant are satirized through their names, which suggest "purging" and "flowery," respectively. Similarly, Monsieur Diafoirus and his son Thomas are portrayed as inept physicians with unbearable personalities.

Despite its comedic nature, Molière's satire of doctors goes beyond mere farce. In the opening of Act 3, a conversation between Béralde and Argan about the medical field offers a compelling and thoughtful critique. Béralde questions the fundamental reasons for living, proposing that nature should be allowed to run its course. While the idea that doctors are unnecessary might seem improbable today, it was more widely accepted in the seventeenth century. The notion that nature's complexity surpasses human understanding and that life should be appreciated as something beyond scientific grasp is a philosophical perspective that continues to resonate with modern readers.

Molière’s critical examination of medicine ties into several of his other thematic interests. For example, critics have connected Argan’s imaginary illnesses to the creative process of a play, as both are obsessions fueled by the creator's enjoyment. Both are spectacles that affect the subject's mind and must be reconciled with the bourgeois pursuit of profit and fair pricing, which explains Argan's wish for a doctor in the family. Furthermore, Molière’s perspective on the medical profession can be linked to the "solipsistic" philosophy sometimes attributed to him—the belief that one's own existence is the only certainty.

The themes of love and marriage in seventeenth-century Paris are central to the play, along with its pastoral musical interludes that feature shepherds, mythological beings, and gypsies engaging in dance and song. All these musical segments, except for the finale, celebrate the marvel and grandeur of youthful love. This is the core of the play’s main conflict: Angélique’s fight to wed her true love, Cléante. This conflict contrasts the strength of young love with Argan’s middle-class desire to save money and maintain his irrational obsession, as Argan has complete control over his daughter’s finances and romantic decisions. The antagonist in this struggle is Béline, who represents deceitful love and manipulative greed.

Molière portrays the young lovers as entirely subject to Argan’s whims, though they possess the cunning, like Béline, to influence him in their favor. The play might be a critique of a father’s dominance over arranged marriages, given Argan’s selfish and trivial nature. However, it remains uncertain whether Molière advocates for any meaningful institutional change. Furthermore, it is unclear if the pursuit of youthful love truly addresses the play’s themes of selfishness, greed, and incompetence.

The prologue indicates that the play was crafted primarily for the amusement of King Louis XIV. Audiences in the seventeenth century would recognize that Molière sought to secure continued patronage and regain favor, which he risked losing to his former collaborator, Jean-Baptiste Lully. Although the prologue is somewhat ambiguous and mildly ironic in its praise of Louis, suggesting that the best way to honor the king’s military achievements is through entertainment, its flattery is largely genuine due to the playwright's dependence on Louis’s support. Molière shares a mutual enjoyment with the king: ridiculing the bourgeoisie.

The bourgeoisie, who comprised the majority of Molière’s audience, is a primary target of his satire. While mocking their folly...