[1] The story deals with the consequences of jealously and hasty assumptions in a farcical series of quarrels and misunderstandings involving Sganarelle (the imagined cuckold of the title), his wife, and the young lovers, Célie and Lélie.

Although there are no direct literary sources for the play, The Imaginary Cuckold was influenced by both the French farce and the Italian commedia dell'arte traditions with the story unfolding over 24 scenes written in alexandrine verse.

However, one enthusiastic spectator, "La Neufvillenaine" (pseudonym of the Parisian publisher Jean Ribou), saw the play so many times during its first run that he was able to write it down from memory.

A performance of the play by the actors of the Comédie-Française with stage direction by Thierry Hancisse was broadcast on France 3 television in 2002 and released on DVD in 2008.

In the final lines of the play Sganarelle addresses the audience: You have seen how the strongest evidence can still plant a false belief in the mind.