Molière
Jean Poquelin was born in Paris shortly before his christening on the 15th of January 1622. A maid who saw him for the first time exclaimed Le nez, a reference to the infant's large nose. His family called him Le Nez from that moment forward. He lost his mother when he was ten years old. Marie Cressé died on the 11th of May 1632. After her death, he lived with his father above the Pavillon des Singes on the rue Saint-Honoré. This affluent area of Paris housed their home and business. His education commenced with studies at a Parisian elementary school. He then enrolled in the prestigious Jesuit Collège de Clermont. There he completed his studies in a strict academic environment. He got a first taste of life on the stage during these years.
In June 1643, Molière decided to abandon his social class and pursue a career on the stage. He joined the actress Madeleine Béjart and founded the Illustre Théâtre with 630 livres. The theatre troupe went bankrupt in 1645. They had acquired large debts mostly for the rent of the theatre. They owed 2000 livres for a court used as a jeu de paume. After a 24-hour stint in prison he returned to the acting circuit. It was at this time that he began to use the pseudonym Molière. He likely changed his name to spare his father the shame of having an actor in the family. Actors were still not allowed to be buried in sacred ground. He and Madeleine began a theatrical circuit of the provinces. This life lasted about twelve years. He initially played in the company of Charles Dufresne. Subsequently he created a company of his own which obtained the patronage of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans. Few plays survive from this period. The most noteworthy are L'Étourdi ou les Contretemps and Le Docteur Amoureux.
Molière reached Paris in 1658 and performed in front of the King at the Louvre. He appeared in Corneille's tragedy Nicomède and in the farce Le Docteur Amoureux with some success. He was awarded the title of Troupe de Monsieur. His company shared the theatre in the large hall of the Petit-Bourbon with the Italian Commedia dell'arte company of Tiberio Fiorillo. The premiere of Les Précieuses Ridicules took place at the Petit-Bourbon on the 18th of November 1659. In 1660, the Petit-Bourbon was demolished to make way for the eastern expansion of the Louvre. Molière's company moved into the abandoned theatre in the east wing of the Palais-Royal. They opened there on the 20th of January 1661. This royal favour brought a royal pension to his troupe. It also granted the title Troupe du Roi. Molière continued as the official author of court entertainments. He found success among Parisians with plays such as The Affected Ladies and The School for Wives.
Tartuffe, ou L'Imposteur was performed at Versailles in 1664 and created the greatest scandal of Molière's artistic career. Its depiction of the hypocrisy of the dominant classes was taken as an outrage. It aroused the wrath of the Jansenists and the play was banned. Dom Juan ou le Festin de Pierre was quickly suspended after it replaced Tartuffe. The king demonstrated his protection once again by becoming the new official sponsor of Molière's troupe. A so-called parti des Dévots arose in French high society. These people protested against Molière's excessive realism and irreverence. They accused Molière of having married his daughter. The Prince of Conti joined them. Molière had other enemies too among the Jansenists and some traditional authors. In 1667, he tried again to perform a revised Tartuffe under the name Panulphe or L'Imposteur. As soon as the King left Paris for a tour, Lamoignon and the archbishop banned the play. The King finally imposed respect for Tartuffe a few years later after he gained more power over the clergy.
Molière introduced the comédies-ballets in conjunction with Les Fâcheux in 1661. These ballets were a transitional form of dance performance between court ballets and professional theatre. He decided to combine the ballet and the play when he did not have a big enough cast. The risky move paid off and Molière was asked to produce twelve more comédies-ballets before his death. During these productions he collaborated with Pierre Beauchamp. Beauchamp codified the five balletic positions of the feet and arms. He was largely responsible for the creation of the Beauchamp-Feuillet dance notation. Molière also collaborated with Jean-Baptiste Lully. Lully was a dancer, choreographer, and composer whose dominant reign at the Paris Opéra lasted 15 years. Under his command, ballet and opera became professional arts unto themselves. Louis XIV even played the part of an Egyptian in Le Mariage forcé in 1664. He also appeared as Neptune and Apollo in Les Amants magnifiques in 1670.
Molière suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis possibly contracted when he was imprisoned for debt as a young man. On the 17th of February 1673 he collapsed on stage during a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging. This occurred while performing in Le Malade imaginaire which had lavish ballets performed to the music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Molière insisted on completing his performance. Afterwards he collapsed again with another larger haemorrhage before being taken home. He died a few hours later without receiving the last rites. Two priests refused to visit him while a third arrived too late. The superstition that green brings bad luck to actors is said to originate from the colour of the clothing he wore at the time of death. Under French law at the time actors were not allowed to be buried in sacred ground. His widow Armande asked the King if her spouse could be granted a normal funeral at night. The King agreed and Molière's body was buried in the part of the cemetery reserved for unbaptised infants.
Molière is considered the creator of modern French comedy. Many words or phrases introduced in his plays are still used in current French. A tartuffe is a hypocrite especially one displaying affected morality or religious piety. A harpagon named after the main character of The Miser is an obsessively greedy man. The phrase galère means a difficult and chaotic situation derived from Les Fourberies de Scapin. In Le Médecin malgré lui the phrase Et voilà pourquoi votre fille est muette mocks unsatisfactory explanations. Monsieur Jourdain in Le Bourgeois gentilhomme realizes he has been speaking prose for 40 years without knowing it. His works have been translated into every major living language. They are performed at the Comédie-Française more often than those of any other playwright today. The French language is often referred to as the language of Molière. His influence extends to modern comedy traditions worldwide.
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Common questions
When was Jean Poquelin born and what nickname did he receive as an infant?
Jean Poquelin was born in Paris shortly before his christening on the 15th of January 1622. A maid who saw him for the first time exclaimed Le nez, a reference to the infant's large nose, so his family called him Le Nez from that moment forward.
Why did Molière change his name and when did he start using the pseudonym Molière?
Molière likely changed his name to spare his father the shame of having an actor in the family after spending 24 hours in prison following the bankruptcy of the Illustre Théâtre in 1645. He began to use the pseudonym Molière at this time because actors were still not allowed to be buried in sacred ground.
What happened during the performance of Tartuffe in 1664 and how long was it banned?
Tartuffe, ou L'Imposteur was performed at Versailles in 1664 but created the greatest scandal of Molière's artistic career due to its depiction of hypocrisy. The play was banned by Lamoignon and the archbishop as soon as the King left Paris for a tour until the King finally imposed respect for Tartuffe a few years later.
How did Molière die and what superstition originated from his death on the 17th of February 1673?
Molière collapsed on stage during a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging while performing Le Malade imaginaire on the 17th of February 1673 and died a few hours later without receiving the last rites. The superstition that green brings bad luck to actors is said to originate from the colour of the clothing he wore at the time of death.
Which phrases introduced by Molière are still used in current French today?
Many words or phrases introduced in his plays are still used in current French including tartuffe which means a hypocrite and harpagon named after the main character of The Miser who is an obsessively greedy man. The phrase galère means a difficult and chaotic situation derived from Les Fourberies de Scapin.