JEAN-BAPTISTE POQUELIN
(MOLIÈRE)
(15 January 1622 – 17 February 1673)
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who are considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Among Molière's best-known works are "Le Misanthrope" (The Misanthrope), "Tartuffe ou L'Imposteur" (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), "L'Avare" (The Miser), "Le Malade imaginaire" (The Imaginary Invalid), and "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" (The Bourgeois Gentleman).
Through the patronage of a few aristocrats, including Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, 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 "La Salle du Petit-Bourbon" near 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.
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.
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