Molière was a French playwright and actor considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Among his best-known dramas are Le Misanthrope, (The Misanthrope), L'Ecole des femmes (The School for Wives), Tartuffe au l'Imposteur, (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), L'Avare au l'École du mensange (The Miser), Le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The Bourgeois Gentleman).
Early Life of Molière
Molière was the pen name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, one of the greatest French comedy writers. He was born on January 17, 1673, in Paris, the son of a wealthy upholsterer. He had a strict upbringing at a Jesuit school. Despite qualifying as a lawyer, he never practiced law.
His first love was the theatre, and at the age of 21 he formed a theatre company with a group of friends, including Jean Racine and Jean de la Fontaine. They toured France for a number of years before coming to the attention of King Louis XIV, who gave them a permanent theatre. Molière was a good friend of Jean Baptiste Lully, regarded the "father of French opera."
Life as a Playwright
Molière had his first major success as a playwright at the age of 40, with The School for Wives. The play poked fun at the limited education that was given to daughters of rich families, and it was the first of what are generally regarded as a series of masterpieces. His comedies ranged from broad slapstick comedy to subtle satire. He almost always acted in the lead role himself, as he firmly believed that there was 'no comedy without truth, and no truth without comedy.'
He made fun of anyone he thought was dishonest, and because of his satires, he often found himself in trouble especially from moralists – two of his plays, Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), attacked religious hypocrisy, received condemnations from the Church, while Don Juan was banned from performance.
Later Years of Molière
Molière's hard work in the theatre began to take its toll on his health and, by 1667, he was forced to take a break from the stage. He concentrated on writing musical comedies later in his life. In these plays the drama was interrupted by songs and dance or a combination of both.
Final Years of Molière
While performing in the production of Le Malade Imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), who suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, he was taken ill. He died the same day on February 17, 1673. After his death the theatre group Comédie Française was formed to promote his works.
Books by Molière
- The School for Wives, (L'Ecole des femmes), 1662
- The Impostor, (Tartuffe au l'Imposteur), 1664
- Don Juan, 1665
- The Misanthrope, (le Misanthrope),1666
- The Doctor in Spite of himself, 1666
- Tartuffe, (a revised version),1667
- The Miser, (L'Avare au l'École du mensange), 1668
- George Dandin, 1668
- The would-Be Gentleman, 1670
- Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The Citizen Turned Gentleman), 1672
- The Imaginary Invalid, (Le Malade imaginaire), 1673
Sources:
Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una McGovern, Chambers, 2002
Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring, Larousse, 1994
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