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The Misanthrope

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 7,335 ratings · 104 reviews

The Misanthrope or Le Misanthrope ou l’Atrabilaire amoureux is a comedy of manners in five acts and in verse.

It is one of the best of Molière's plays — and one of the greatest of all comedies — spotlighting the absurdities of social and literary pretension, focusing on a man who is quick to criticize the faults of others, yet remains blind to his own.
This play satirizes th...more

Paperback, 64 pages

Published February 5th 1992 by Dover Publications (first published 1666)

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Community Reviews

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Mar 12, 2013 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Bettie, Wanda, Carey

Shelves: audio-books, french-literature, comedy, read-2013

From BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3
How to lose friends and infuriate people - a mockery of manners and morals set amid 17th century French aristocracy. Disgusted with French society, where powdered fops gossip in code and bejewelled coquettes whisper behind fans, poet Alceste embarks on a one-man crusade against fakery, frippery and forked tongues. But could the woman he adores be the worst culprit of them all? And in this rarefied world will his revolution prove merely revolting..?

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Mar 12, 2013 Bettie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-visit-2013, spring-2013, play-dramatisation, amusing, france, published-1666, satire

Re-visit via R3

The Misanthrope by Molière, in a new version by Roger McGough from the Everyman Playhouse and English Touring Theatre Co. production.

As part of Baroque Spring, Radio 3's season of Baroque music and culture, and following on from the Sunday concert, a new adaptation of this classic French play performed live in front of an audience at Powis Castle.

BBC BLURBS: How to lose friends and infuriate people - a mockery of manners and morals set amid 17th century French aristocracy. Disgus...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Quan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"[..]et Boileau écrira à propos du Molière des Fourberies de Scapin, « je ne reconnais plus l’auteur du Misanthrope »"
Me too buhro.

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Mar 13, 2013 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

I tend to side more with critics who deem this play a comedy rather than a tragicomedy. Molière refused to conform with the traditional comedic structure of his time, and ended his play by ending the relationship of the central couple... and I'm thankful for that. Alceste's exhausting, relentless railing of mankind's hypocrisy and feigned sincerity is juxtaposed with Célimène's desperate attachment to a society of individuals she finds repulsive - where knowing the right person is important only...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Bruce rated it 3 of 5 stars

This play, first presented in 1666, was not initially well received by its audience which felt that it was too gloomy and intellectually challenging. It is in fact thought-provoking as well as being timeless in the issues it raises, dealing with honesty and integrity vs social politeness and expediency. The plot is simple and without much nuance, pitting the rather austere and rigid honesty of Alceste against the more accommodating and flexible social interactions of his sometime friend Philinte...more

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Nov 18, 2011 John Gaynard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Some months ago, I went to see Molière's play Le Misanthrope at the Théâtre du Ranelagh in Paris. I last saw it a few years ago but, with the help of age, I had forgotten some of the details. So, even if the production wasn't that great it was good to hear this masterpiece of social satire once again.

I won't repeat the whole plot of The Misanthrope, but here are some lines from the Wikipedia resume (Alceste is the misanthrope):

"The plot... involves a trial before the Royal Court of France that r...more Some months ago, I went to see Molière's play Le Misanthrope at the Théâtre du Ranelagh in Paris. I last saw it a few years ago but, with the help of age, I had forgotten some of the details. So, even if the production wasn't that great it was good to hear this masterpiece of social satire once again.

I won't repeat the whole plot of The Misanthrope, but here are some lines from the Wikipedia resume (Alceste is the misanthrope):

"The plot... involves a trial before the Royal Court of France that results from Alceste's refusal to praise Oronte's love poetry. Alceste typically refuses to dole out false compliments, and this is the practice that lands him in court. ...Philinte represents a foil for Alceste's moral extremism, and speaks throughout the first act of the play on the necessity of self-censorship and polite flattery to smooth over the rougher textures of a complex society. Alceste, on the other hand, believes that people should be completely honest and should not put on pretenses just to be considered polite in society. Alceste loses the court case. Eventually, Alceste's inability to cope with society and its inescapable affectations causes him to forsake the woman he loves..."

If Molière had not died long before Amazon.com came into existence I would have suspected him of plagiarizing some recent conversations I have seen in Amazon reader forums in which writers plug their books and solicit reviews. The forum conversations are usually genteel but they can get very catty if one contributor decides to post a negative one-star review of another writer's book to Amazon or post a 'spoiler' that will ruin the surprise ending.

The play thus shows that the dangers involved in reviewing another writer's work, or being reviewed oneself, are not new. Molière came in for an immense amount of both fair and unfair criticism in his time, so he was as well placed as any modern writer to understand the importance of harsh criticism. His skin was thicker than most because the actors and actresses of his time were considered so low on the social scale that they didn't have the right to be buried in hallowed ground. After his death Molière's body was thrown into the paupers' pit outside the Père Lachaise cemetery.(less)

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May 15, 2013 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic, french-literature, historical-fiction, plays

Molière, or Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, satirizes french 17th century social hypocrisy. The main character despises all forms of false, insincere remarks and thinks people’s pride should be about honesty and not good behavior and proper welcome. The comical situations that arises are a consequence of such an opinion. He gets into trouble for being truthfully honest, which border on rudeness and earn him enemies.

Spoilers!

The funniest thing is that the woman who might be the worst of them all, who lo...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Alexis Neal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

Alceste, the titular misanthrope, is frank to a fault and disgusted with humanity. He is also, to his consternation, enamored of the young and flirtatious Célimène. But then, so is every other Tom, Dick, and Harry (in this case, Acaste, Oronte, and Clitandre) in town . . . a fact which causes Alceste no small amount of frustration. Meanwhile, two other women have the hots for Alceste, who of course is far too lovestruck to care. When Alceste ignores a friend's advice and gives a rather scathing...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was expecting dry and I got witty. I thought it would be stilted and instead I got clever rapid-fire barbs. Moliere’s cheeky play pokes fun at French aristocracy and social norms of the time. The main character, Alceste, despises the superficial French aristocracy. He refuses to pay false compliments and makes himself unpopular with the court.

Despite his high moral standards and distain for those around him, he’s still deeply flawed. He falls in love with a chronic gossip and flirt, Célimène....more

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Jun 30, 2011 Lindsay rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have a hard time rating books or plays when I want to throttle the characters near to death. I know that this means the author did an amazing job capturing the hypocrisy of the characters. However, maybe he did too good a job if the characters of Alceste and Celimene are able to make me so angry it spills over toward the work. I think the character of Alceste reminds me of how I acted when I was in high school and that I was "cool" to be sarcastic and find fault with movies or books, rather th...more

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Nov 23, 2009 Jafar rated it 3 of 5 stars

This French classic had been on my to-read list forever. I was recently reminded of it when I read that an adaptation of it – starring Keira Knightley – will be performed in London soon. Upon seeing the theater ticket prices, however, I decided that it was high time that I finally read this book.

This is a “comedy” if you also think that Candide is a comedy. Regardless – this was a quick and enjoyable read and I liked the wordplays. The story is about a man with a low opinion of humanity. It’s n...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Miguel Jiménez rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

La sola propuesta me atrapó: la falsedad de todo, de la vida, de las relaciones, del hombre hipócrita. No conozco muchos libros de este tipo. Los escritores deben verlo como sí, algo normal y decepcionante que todos saben, pero ¡cuántos temas no han sido sobreexplotados en la literatura! Entonces, nadie escribe sobre esto.

Me gustó la idea del hombre que dice lo que piensa y no entiende el por qué se tiene que fingir las reacciones y comentarios cuando no sientes aquello. Sin embargo, el desarrol...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Natacha P rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: french

I enjoyed Le Misanthrope, however I did not find it very funny at all. If anything I felt that it was tinged with bitterness, which may make sense if it was indeed written--at least in part--with his own marital problems in mind (reflected in the character of Celimène).

In terms of composition, Molière is a master of his craft and the long speeches present in this play highlight his linguistic talent. Referring to the French text, Molière is a master at rhyming; completely re-arranging sentence...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Amandine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: théâtre-et-opéra, 17e-siècle

Après avoir assisté à un cours sur cette pièce grâce auquel j'ai davantage réfléchi sur celle-ci et qui m'en a montré toute la richesse, je l'ai davantage appréciée qu'à la première lecture. Alceste, qui m'agaçait, m'apparaît à présent plus complexe que je ne le pensais, de même que Célimène. Cela a facilité mon identification aux personnages et m'a fait prendre plus d'intérêt aux souffrances des personnages. Molière ne m'amuse néanmoins toujours pas: je perçois dans ses comédies l'aspect de dén...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Gijs rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, stage-works, french, 16th-to-18th-century

Zonderlinge komedie in ongekunstelde alexandrijnen over de principieel eerlijke en dus botte Alceste, die verliefd is op de twintigjarige roddeltante Célimène, die nog meer aanbidders heeft, maar door haar geroddel géén van hen krijgt.

(view spoiler)

De komedie is vooral sterk in zijn...more

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Aug 27, 2009 Mark R. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Highly enjoyable play about a man who has a perfectly negative outlook on just about everything. His friends challenge his feelings of tenderness towards a woman in his life, for how can someone who hates so much find it in himself to be in love with anyone?

The play presents five acts in which the Misanthrope of the title discusses with his friends; with a man who considers himself a poet, whom the Misanthrope is unable of critiquing without extreme rudeness; and with the woman he desires; amon...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Una rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: cilvēkiem, kas negrib liekuļot, bet grib dzīvot ar citiem pa labam

Recommended to Una by: Viesturs Vecgrāvis

Shelves: filfakam, klasika

Asprātīga, trāpīga un aktuāla luga. Dažas cilvēces problēmas acīmredzot gadsimtu gaitā nemirst. Piemēram, kā pateikt cilvēkam acīs, ka viņa dzeja nekam neder? Un ko, ak, ko, darīt, kad gadās pret savu gribu samīlēties galīgā cūkcepurē? Jo pēc savas gribas jau nesamīlas.

Atgādina Dārsija manieres "Lepnumā un aizspriedumos" un pieklājīgo jauno dāmu aplinkus apvainojumus pie tējas un kūkām Vailda "Cik svarīgi būt nopietnam".

Starp citu, latviešu izdevums (Moljēra komēdiju izlase) ļoti jauki smaržo. S...more

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Mar 25, 2013 David Sarkies rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comedy

One of the thing that I like about reading plays is that they tend to be short and are easy to get through in a short amount of time. However the problem I have is that since they tend to be written so as to be performed on stage (in the same way that poetry is generally written to be read aloud) it makes it difficult to actually follow what is going on. With regards to many of the Shakespearian plays this is not a problem because you can find most of them on You Tube, however a quick search th...more One of the thing that I like about reading plays is that they tend to be short and are easy to get through in a short amount of time. However the problem I have is that since they tend to be written so as to be performed on stage (in the same way that poetry is generally written to be read aloud) it makes it difficult to actually follow what is going on. With regards to many of the Shakespearian plays this is not a problem because you can find most of them on You Tube, however a quick search through Youtube has not provided me with any joy in regards to this particular play.
The Misanthrope was the only play of Moliere's that I had heard of until a friend of mine bought me a collection of his plays for Christmas. The reason that I knew of it was because I would see the Dover Thrift edition sitting on bookshop shelves and I did want to get around to reading it some day (particularly since it was short). I guess I have done that now.
The Misanthrope is about a poet who is disgusted with the fake attitudes of the French nobility, however is in love with a woman who is the epitomy of this. I guess I can relate to this because I have been infatuated with women like this myself, and there is that part of me that believes that I might be able to change her. Mind you, this love is not unrequited simply because she also has feelings for Alceste (the misanthrope of the title) but is torn between her love for him, and for living the high life at court – in fact being a flirt.
As mentioned, I can relate to Alceste a lot, particularly since I can be very critical of the shallowness of the western lifestyle, but have also been in love with women that have epitomised this lifestyle. Once again the love was not necessarily unrequited, however the difference was that these women, while appreciating being wined and dined, in the end only really wanted one thing, where as I preferred the company and the affection. I guess I am just a bit conservative in that fashion.
It is interesting to see how things have not necessarily changed since the days of Moliere, though I would suggest that more people are able to live this lifestyle now than they were in those days. In fact on my recent visit to China (okay, it was only across the border to Shenzhen, and it was only for a day, but it did give me a bit of a taste) I could see how many of the people there were dressed like Westerners and wondered around the streets of Shenzhen with their faces glued to their smartphones (and I suspect that they were generally playing games). Personally I cannot comment on the Chinese culture, particularly on the Mainland, but it does appear to be much different from our culture.
This is the key I suspect because was Alceste is criticising is the shallowness of the culture. He is a poet, and obviously a thinker as well, so he (like me) likes to analyse things and to try to understand why things are the way they are, while the people around him care only for the pleasure and luxury of the high life. However Alceste is still human, he is attracted to a beautiful woman, and she is nothing like the person who he is: she is shallow and only interested in flirting and living the high life. I guess that is why Alceste walks out on her and on his society at the end, simply because he knows that he is not going to change her, and that if he hates this society so much, he might as well leave.(less)

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Mar 09, 2012 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: university-scholars, plays, college-books

The Misanthrope. A man who stands in total and painful contrast to the rest of society with its manners and customs. The play opens with Alceste rebuking his friend Philinte for the hypocrisy of effusive friendship when he really cares nothing for the person he was praising. Philinte tells him that decorum calls for us to not always speak what we really think of people. Alceste thinks the opposite. We should always say what we think of people, no matter the consequences. In fact, at the first op...more The Misanthrope. A man who stands in total and painful contrast to the rest of society with its manners and customs. The play opens with Alceste rebuking his friend Philinte for the hypocrisy of effusive friendship when he really cares nothing for the person he was praising. Philinte tells him that decorum calls for us to not always speak what we really think of people. Alceste thinks the opposite. We should always say what we think of people, no matter the consequences. In fact, at the first opportunity, Alceste insults a man's sonnets and later gets into trouble for it but will not recant his opinion.
Alceste's frustration is always portrayed in his futile love for the coquettish Celimene, who is always home for any guest and who will always favor any suitor. However, she has plenty of negative things to say about those who are not present, and her suitors praise her for her judgmental criticisms--to Alceste's severe irritation. As certain as he is that his undying love for her will cause her to change her ways, he soon reaches the end of his rope in regards to her. First he finds a revealing letter and comes into a brawl with her, and then a more revealing letter is brought to light, resulting in the leave-taking of all of Celimene's suitors. Alceste hangs on, but even he realizes that her love for him does not come close to what he feels for her.
Although this play doesn't exactly have a happy ending (especially with the main character leaving his beloved and deciding to abandon all mankind because of its depravity and hypocrisy), there is a plentitude of hilarious and sarcastic dialogue. Among the jokes and ironies, there are also good lessons to be learned regarding honesty, friendship, love, vice, and virtue. Alceste's friend Philinte, though seemingly shallow at times, does appear to have a more moderate view on life. He accepts the fact that man has a fallen nature, but he believes that virtue is able to shine ever more because of that fact. In the end, he is the only one to get the girl--Eliante, who also happens to have a good head on her shoulders.
This is a short, easy, and enjoyable read. I definitely recommend.(less)

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Aug 05, 2007 علی rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: plays, classic-comedies

میزانتروپ یا عاشق چموش، طنزی ست از فساد جامعه ی اشرافی فرانسه که بعلت گسترش آزادی شخصیت ها در بیان، با دیگر کمدی های سنتی مولیر متفاوت است. به دلیل توقیف دو نمایش نامه ی قبلی، تارتوف و دون ژوان، مولیر در این نمایش نامه بیشتر به جانب مردم و رعایت آنان نظر داشته است. به وضوح نمی توان دید که "السسته" قهرمانی ست آگاه یا از روی نادانی به چنین ایده آل هایی می اندیشد. ژان ژاک روسو میزانتروپ را بهترین اثر مولیر دانسته است. السسته بر خلاف سنت قرن هفدهمی، خود را "نیک" و "شایسته" نشان نمی دهد و به دلیل چند...more میزانتروپ یا عاشق چموش، طنزی ست از فساد جامعه ی اشرافی فرانسه که بعلت گسترش آزادی شخصیت ها در بیان، با دیگر کمدی های سنتی مولیر متفاوت است. به دلیل توقیف دو نمایش نامه ی قبلی، تارتوف و دون ژوان، مولیر در این نمایش نامه بیشتر به جانب مردم و رعایت آنان نظر داشته است. به وضوح نمی توان دید که "السسته" قهرمانی ست آگاه یا از روی نادانی به چنین ایده آل هایی می اندیشد. ژان ژاک روسو میزانتروپ را بهترین اثر مولیر دانسته است. السسته بر خلاف سنت قرن هفدهمی، خود را "نیک" و "شایسته" نشان نمی دهد و به دلیل چند بعدی بودن، جذابیت بیشتری دارد. رفتارش به روستائیان می ماند و معشوقش کلیمنه، معتقد است که رفتارش مناسب جامعه نیست. اخلاق گرایان از رفتارهای این عاشق چموش راضی نیستند اما ساده گرایی السسته از حس عمیقش نسبت به کلیمنه ناشی می شود. او حتی بخاطر تمسخر نجیب زاده ای به محاکمه کشیده می شود اما حرفش را پس نمی گیرد، به همین دلیل باید به تبعید برود، از کلیمنه می خواهد با او همراه شود اما کلیمنه خواهش او را رد می کند و...
ژان باپتیست پوکولین، معروف به مولیر (1673-1622) کمدی نویس قرن هفده فرانسه، ابتدا تحت تاثیر "کمدی دلآرته" بود. کم کم به کمدی فارس روی آورد و بسیاری از آثار مشهورش از این نوع است. از اثار نمایشی مولیر از دوران مشروطه تا دهه های اول قرن حاضر شمسی، بارها نمایش نامه هایی به فارسی اقتباس و اجرا شده است. مشهورترین آثارش، ابتدا با همان اسم؛ "تارتوف"، "میزانتروپ"، "بورژوا ژانتیوم"، و سپس با نام های فارسی نظیر "مریض خیالی"، "خسیس" و "تارتوف ریاکار" به فارسی بازنویسی شده اند. پس از مشروطیت ترجمه ی آثار مولیر معمول شد و تقریبن تمامی کمدی های مشهورش به فارسی ترجمه شدند. از آنجا که این نمایش نامه ها کمدی و به زبان فرانسه بوده، ظاهرن اولین نمایش نامه هایی ست که به فارسی ترجمه شده چرا که اولین محصلین ایرانی معمولن به کشورهای فرانسه زبان نظیر فرانسه، بلژیک و سوئیس اعزام می شدند و زبان فرانسه تا پیش از کودتای 1332، در مدارس و دانشگاه ها تدریس می شد. ظاهرن اولین اثر مولیر که به فارسی برگردانده شده، "میزانتروپ" است و میرزاحبیب اصفهانی آن را ترجمه کرده، بعد هم محمد حسن خان اعتمادالسلطنه "طبیب اجباری" را به فارسی برگردانده. یکی دیگر از علل محبوبیت مولیر در ایران، هزل و هجو ریاکاری مذهبی و دسیسه های اصحاب کلیسا و دربار و اشراف، در این نمایش نامه هاست. نوشته اند که مولیر روز و شب می نوشت و از آنجا که خود کارگردان و اغلب بازیگر نمایش نامه هایش هم بود، کار شبانه روزی سلامتی اش را بخطر انداخت و در پنجاه سالگی درگذشت. حتی مرگش روی صحنه اتفاق افتاد. او که سل ریوی داشت، هنگام اجرای مریض خیالی، روی صحنه به سرفه افتاد و با وجودی که نمایش را به آخر رساند، افتاد، و ساعاتی بعد درگذشت.
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Jun 19, 2007 f rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

"The Misanthrope" was an assigned reading the summer before i went into high school. i remember being bored with it, not understanding a lot of it, and that it made (generally unsuccessful)attempts at humor. i do remember imagining the play as best i could and struggling with some words. it was probably a bad idea to assign reading a 18th century french play to a solitary 13 year old whose experience of fiction was limited to Choose Your Own Adventure (which i love to this day), the Bible, and...more

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Jul 07, 2009 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars

I should take the message of this comedy (which deals with the issue of honesty face-to-face) to heart. As some of the intro matter had said, this is not one of Moliere's laugh-out-loud comedies, but it's got a couple zingers. It's a comedy of manners much more like Jane Austen might have written. I read this in it's original French and rhymed couplets--I can't guarantee what it will be like in English. As a contemporary intertext, I suggest Justin Timberlake's "What goes around comes around."

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Aug 12, 2011 Sarah (Bellasexeqtner) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had to read this for a Restoration literature class I took in college but it's something that is added to the consciousness that I write from. The duality of society in those days fascinates me. We have such invisible boundaries now. So many secrets that are flashed on display for attention. And it's not a new subject. This play is all about using gossip and scandal to control your place in society. Well who doesn't do that?

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Apr 19, 2011 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics

What a fun audio presentation. I listened to this done by LA Theater Works, I think it was called.
I also felt impressed with the translation, how much managed to rhyme and be so coherent. I guess I don't know enough about translating, I'm always amazed to read beautiful English and then realize that it was written in a different language first.

Anyway, this play was hilarious and also left plenty to think about.

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Jan 08, 2013 Catalina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesante y divertido, aunque a veces llegaba a aburrirme, principalmente por el lenguaje que se utiliza. Me gustó la forma como Molière criticaba algunos aspectos de la sociedad, como la falta de sinceridad y las máscaras bajo las cuales se esconde la gente.

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Dec 07, 2010 Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Started wonderfully, acerbically, with ye olde embittered a-hole idealist disgusted with the fabrications of society, railing against some marquis's trashy poesy, and generally I read with a smile throughout, but it sort of unspooled a bit tediously before recovering nicely as the misanthrope gets dissed and vows to head for the hills forever away from disappointing humanity. Not bad for a comedy re: the inauthenticites of 1666.

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Feb 18, 2012 Theophanu rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this in Andrè Bjerkes brilliant translation to norwegian, keeping the original verse structure. This is so far my favourite by Molière. Its descriptions of people are precise and sarcastic, but still shows understanding for the fact that everybody has faults, and must be loved despite these. I found the ending a bit abrupt, but apart from that I enjoyed it very much.

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Jan 23, 2011 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

*Read for School*

I read this play in first year, and now again in fourth year. I enjoyed it both times. I enjoy the satirical notions, and also the way the translation makes everything rhyme. It adds a whimsicalness to the play. I look forward to future discussions in class, since we get the full historical context, which did not really happen the last time I read the play.

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Mar 16, 2010 Will Boncher rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: previously-owned

A quick read, but not a great one. For a comedy, it didn't do too much for me, a line here and there, but it fell short. It took me a while to decide if I liked it or not, which led me to realize that if I had to decide for that long, I probably didn't.

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May 03, 2009 Marty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, classics

I feel silly giving a number-of-stars-review to a play written by a dude who was BFFs with the King of France in the 1660s on a web site. I also feel silly listening to a novel by a Bronte on my iPod walking to the subway. It just feels wrong.

So, I liked it. That's all.

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About Molière

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...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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“I have the defect of being more
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