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ACT 2
Cléante, Angélique’s lover, knocks on the door.
TOINETTE: “Angelique can’t see anyone.”
CLÉANTE: “Say it is the new music teacher.”
TOINETTE: “Good idea! Wait here.
Her father is coming!”
ARGAN, talking to himself: “My doctor’s orders: walking.
Walk back and forth to my room 12 times.
But I forgot… Where do I start?”
TOINETTE, entering: “Sir, there is a…”
ARGAN: “Shhh! Speak softly to a sick person.”
TOINETTE: “Sir, psstsss…” (She pretends to speak in a low voice)
ARGAN: “What?”
TOINETTE: “I am saying: psstssspss…”
ARGAN: “What are you saying?”
TOINETTE, yells: “I am saying: a man wants to talk to you!”
ARGAN, jumps: “Yes! He can come.”
CLÉANTE: “Sir, I am replacing the music teacher.
He is sick.”
ARGAN: “All right, start the lesson.”
CLÉANTE: “A shepherd loves a shepherdess.
But the father wants another husband for the shepherdess.”
CLÉANTE: “So, the shepherd suffers.
He wants to say his love to the shepherdess.”
Toinette, coming back into the room.
TOINETTE: “Sir, this is Mr. Diafoirus and his son.”
M. DIAFOIRUS: “Sir, we are here to ask your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
M. Diafoirus looks at his son.
M. DIAFOIRUS: “Thomas, greet the lady.”
THOMAS: “Miss, your beauty is like the sun, and your eyes are lovely.
I offer you, my heart.”
TOINETTE, ironic: “Those are nice words.
But is he a good doctor?”
ARGAN: “My daughter, take Thomas’ hand.”
ANGÉLIQUE: “Please, Father, take it easy.
Give us time to get to know each other.”
ARGAN: “After the wedding!”
ANGÉLIQUE: “Father, please give me time.
Don’t force me into a marriage without love.”
She leaves.
ARGAN: “Gentlemen, can you check my health?”
M. Diafoirus and Thomas take Argan’s pulse.
M. DIAFOIRUS: “Well, the problem is the splenic parenchyma, so the spleen.”
ARGAN: “But my doctor says it is the liver.”
M. DIAFOIRUS: “Well yes: the parenchyma, so the spleen and the liver.
It goes together.”
M. DIAFOIRUS: “Does your doctor tells you to eat roasted food?”
ARGAN: “No, only boiled food.”
M. DIAFOIRUS: “Well yes!: roasted, boiled, same thing. Your doctor gives good advice.”