Moliere
(1622-1673)
Biography
Creator of the French national comedy,
Moliere was one of the most outstanding
persons of the Age of Enlightenment. He was
also critically acclaimed as a genius
comedian and a talented director who
introduced a new basis of stage
performances. Moliere is best known for his
witty plays full of satire. Among them are
such masterpieces as Les Precieuses
Ridicules, Tartuffe oul'Imposteur, Malade
Imaginaire.
Jean-Baptiste
Poquelin,
who
subsequently assumed the name of Moliere,
was born in Paris in 1622. His father, Jean
Poquelin, was a royal carpet-maker and tried
to give his son the best education of that time:
the future playwright perfectly knew ancient
languages and Antic literature; he was
interested in history, philosophy and natural
sciences. Moliere was greatly influenced by
his grandfather who took the little boy to
performances at the Hôtel de Bourgogne.
Being a prominent student, Moliere obtained his degree in law and was preparing to become a
lawyer. Then suddenly in 1643 he took his part of legacy and joined the Illustre Theatre’s troupe.
For a year or two the Illustre Theatre tempted fortune in the capital without success, and in 1646
they commenced a tour through the provinces which continued for twelve years. During this
period the author passed hard times of debts and was even jailed by the creditors. Nevertheless
Moliere’s talent for acting and writing flourished and by the time of his death (1673) JeanBaptiste Poquelin wrote about 30 plays and farces. In 1673 Moliere died on stage while
performing Argan in Malade Imaginaire proving once again his genuine vocation for theatre. In
1680 the theatre where Moliere’s troupe had been performing for 12 years was turned to La
Comédie Française, the only repertory theatre financed by the French government.
Creative Works
Literary critics often compare Moliere to Pierre Corneille, both being phenomenal theatrical
success, but Moliere was a practical man learning both the literary and the actor art right on
stage. This trait helped him to move forward not only his own career but the art of comedy in
France. His first works however were far from original: Moliere tried to copy the Italian
‘commedia dell’arte’. In The Flying doctor (1645),Le Docteur amoureux (1658), La Jalousie du
Gros-René (1663) and many other plays he largely used the masks and farce. Still, the Italian
humor was a rude one and even brutal for Moliere. The playwright wanted the comedy to be
revised and ‘acclimatized’ according to the French cultural experience. He chose farce as the
basis for the plot as it was always inspired by the everyday life rich in images, themes and
striking characters. Then he combined it with realistic descriptions which created the effect of
verisimilitude. Such a mix quickly became popular among the spectators. Inspite of scandals (the
conflict with queen mother Anne of Austria and the French Catholic church after the production
of Tartuffe oul'Imposteur) and rumours concerning Moliere’s obscene behaviour that surrounded
the famous writer, he managed to stage practically all his plays. King Louis XIV was favourably
disposed to Moliere’s troupe: the latter soon became the royal ‘chef de divertissments’. This fact
prompted the birth of the comédie-ballet, an absolutely new genre created in duo with JeanBaptiste Lully (Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, Les Amants magnifiques, Le Bourgeois
gentilhomme, etc.)
Florentine Influence
There
is
no
document
stating
that Moliere had
ever
been
in
Florence or even to
Italy but all his life
and literary work
were
somehow
connected with the
Apennine Peninsula.
Firstly due to his
fascination for the
Italian
theatre
tradition.
Italian
commedia dell’arte
served as a stepping
stone for the young
dramatist.
The
second reason is that Moliere presented several plays in collaboration with Jean-Baptiste Lully, a
gifted Florentine-born composer. Their cooperation was a prolific one: this French-Italian duo
presented 8 different plays all together and invented a new genre in drama art - comédie-ballet.
At the same time the Parisian and the Florentine were in constant rivalry contesting the role of
the Sun-king’s favourite.
By the time of his death Moliere had become extremely popular in Italy. His imitation of Italian
models at the beginning of his literary career had ended with the total dominance on the
European stage: the Italians considered him as an uncontestable master and called ‘the great
teacher’. Moliere’s diversity of images and plots prompted the renovation of somewhat static
and banal commedia dell’arte.
Learn more
Larousse //http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/personnage/JeanBaptiste_Poquelin_dit_Moli%C3%A8re/133609
L’express // http://www.lexpress.fr/culture/livre/memoires-de-m-goldoni-pour-servira-l-histoire-de-sa-vie-et-a-celle-de-son-theatre_807855.html
Le Nouvel Observateur // http://www.philippesollers.net/moliere.html
Moliere’s works online // http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/m/moliere/index.html
Official site of La Comédie Française // http://www.comedie-francaise.fr/histoire-etpatrimoine.php?id=283
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