Molière (1622-1673)
Biographical note
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'école 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). Thirteen years as an itinerant actor helped him polish his comic abilities whilst he also began writing, combining Commedia dell'Arte elements with the more refined French comedy. 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). 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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Works
- Le Médecin volant [1645] -- The Flying Doctor
- La Jalousie du barbouillé [1650]
- L'Étourdi ou les Contretemps [1655] -- The Blunderer
- Le Dépit amoureux [December 16, 1656]
- Le Docteur amoureux [1658] [now lost] -- The Doctor in Love
- Les Précieuses ridicules [November 18, 1659] -- The Affected Young Ladies
- Sganarelle ou le Cocu imaginaire [May 28, 1660] -- Sganarelle, or the Imaginary Cuckold
- Dom Garcie de Navarre ou le Prince jaloux [February 4, 1661]
- L'École des maris [June 24, 1661] -- The School for Husbands
- Les Fâcheux [August 17, 1661] -- The Mad
- L'École des femmes [December 26, 1662] [Adapted into The Amorous Flea in 1964] -- The School for Wives
- La Jalousie du Gros-René [April 15, 1663] [presumably the same as "La Jalousie du Barbouillé"]
- La Critique de l'école des femmes [June 1, 1663] -- Critique of the School for Wives
- L'Impromptu de Versailles [October 14, 1663]
- Le Mariage forcé [January 29, 1664] The forced marriage
- Gros-René, petit enfant [April 27, 1664, now lost]
- La Princesse d'Élide [May 8, 1664]The princess of elid
- Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur [May 12, 1664] -- Tartuffe, or The Imposter [or Hypocrite] [ read | print | download ]
- Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre [February 15, 1665]
- L'Amour médecin [September 15, 1665] -- Doctor of Love
- Le Misanthrope ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux [June 4, 1666] -- The Misanthrope
- Le Médecin malgré lui [August 6, 1666] -- The Doctor in Spite of Himself
- Mélicerte [December 2, 1666]
- Pastorale comique [January 5, 1667]
- Le Sicilien ou l'Amour peintre [February 14, 1667]
- Amphitryon [January 13, 1668]
- George Dandin ou le Mari confondu [July 18, 1668] -- George Dandin, or the Abashed Husband
- L'Avare ou l'École du mensonge [September 9, 1668] -- The Miser
- Monsieur de Pourceaugnac [October 6, 1669]
- Les Amants magnifiques [February 4, 1670] The magnificent lovers
- Le Bourgeois gentilhomme [October 14, 1670] -- The Bourgeois Gentlemen
- Psyché [January 17, 1671] -- Psyche
- Les Fourberies de Scapin [May 24, 1671]
- La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas [December 2, 1671]
- Les Femmes Savantes [March 11, 1672] -- The Learned Ladies
- Le Malade imaginaire [February 10, 1673] -- The Imaginary Invalid [or The Hypochondriac]
