Trudell is a freelance writer with a bachelor's degree in English literature. In the following essay, Trudell discusses Molière's self-consciousness about performance, reality, and the role of the theater in The Imaginary Invalid.

Critics and scholars have long been fascinated by the self-conscious irony of Molière's last play. The dramatist's death only hours after the finale of its fourth performance, during which Molière, in the role of Argan, coughed up blood onstage, was long considered his final, greatest joke, and countless commentators noted that actual life seemed to be merging with the theatrical world in a sort of triumph of illusion by the famous actor. Molière's theatricality and showmanship continue to be common topics of discussion in criticism of the playwright and actor, including his ability to combine the arts of writing and acting, and his interest in incorporating...