Molière

Author profile

born

January 15, 1622 in Paris, France

died

February 17, 1673

gender

male

genre

Literature & Fiction

About this author

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Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known by his stage name, Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Among Molière's best-known dramas are Le Misanthrope, (The Misanthrope), L'Ecole des femmes (The School for Wives), Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur, (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), L'Avare ou l'École du mensonge (The Miser), Le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The Bourgeois Gentleman).

From a prosperous family and having studied at the Jesuit Clermont College (now Lycée Louis-le-Grand), Molière was well suited to begin a life in the theatre. Thirteen years as an itinerant actor helped to polish his comic abilities while he also began writin...more Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known by his stage name, Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Among Molière's best-known dramas are Le Misanthrope, (The Misanthrope), L'Ecole des femmes (The School for Wives), Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur, (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), L'Avare ou l'École du mensonge (The Miser), Le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The Bourgeois Gentleman).

From a prosperous family and having studied at the Jesuit Clermont College (now Lycée Louis-le-Grand), Molière was well suited to begin a life in the theatre. Thirteen years as an itinerant actor helped to polish his comic abilities while he also began writing, combining Commedia dell'Arte elements with the more refined French comedy.

Through the patronage of a few aristocrats including the brother of Louis XIV, Molière procured a command performance before the King at the Louvre. Performing a classic play by Pierre Corneille and a farce of his own, Le Docteur amoureux (The Doctor in Love), Molière was granted the use of Salle du Petit-Bourbon at the Louvre, a spacious room appointed for theatrical performances. Later, Molière was granted the use of the Palais-Royal. In both locations he found success among the Parisians with plays such as Les Précieuses ridicules (The Affected Ladies), L'École des maris (The School for Husbands) and L'École des femmes (The School for Wives). This royal favour brought a royal pension to his troupe and the title "Troupe du Roi" (The King's Troupe). Molière continued as the official author of court entertainments.

Though he received the adulation of the court and Parisians, Molière's satires attracted criticisms from moralists and the Church. Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite) and its attack on religious hypocrisy roundly received condemnations from the Church while Don Juan was banned from performance. Molière's hard work in so many theatrical capacities began to take its toll on his health and, by 1667, he was forced to take a break from the stage. In 1673, during a production of his final play, Le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), Molière, who suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, was seized by a coughing fit and a haemorrhage while playing the hypochondriac Argan. He finished the performance but collapsed again and died a few hours later. In his time in Paris, Molière had completely reformed French comedy.
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Books by Molière

Average rating: 3.67 · 21,135 ratings · 629 reviews · 308 distinct works

	Tartuffe by Molière, Martin Sorrell (Translation) 3.63 avg rating — 6,542 ratings — published 1664 — 145 editions	My rating:
	The Misanthrope by Molière, Dover Thrift Editions 3.73 avg rating — 4,079 ratings — published 1666 — 75 editions	My rating:
	Le Bourgeois gentilhomme 3.71 avg rating — 1,489 ratings — published 1670 — 92 editions	My rating:
	Don Juan by Molière, Richard Wilbur (Translator) 3.61 avg rating — 1,334 ratings — published 1665 — 72 editions	My rating:
	L'Avare 3.63 avg rating — 1,476 ratings — published 1668 — 131 editions	My rating:
	Le Malade imaginaire 3.73 avg rating — 1,202 ratings — published 1673 — 97 editions	My rating:
	L'École des Femmes 3.60 avg rating — 774 ratings — published 1662 — 47 editions	My rating:
	The Misanthrope, Tartuffe, and Other Plays by Molière, Maya Slater (Translator) 3.82 avg rating — 389 ratings — published 1959 — 3 editions	My rating:
	The Misanthrope and Other Plays by Molière, Molière, David Coward (Annotations) 3.80 avg rating — 440 ratings — published 1959 — 14 editions	My rating:
	Les Fourberies de Scapin 3.51 avg rating — 475 ratings — published 1671 — 52 editions	My rating:

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Quotes by Molière

“Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money.”
― Molière

tags: writing

108 people liked it

“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.”
― Molière

tags: sins-of-omission

57 people liked it

“Life is a tragedy to those who feel and a comedy to those who think.”
― Molière

49 people liked it

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Molière

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Quotes by Molière

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Books by Molière