Moliere

Moliere, the father of French comedy (1622-73), was really named Jean Baptiste Poquelin. He was born at Paris, where his father was upholsterer to the king. After the death of his mother in 1632, and the remarriage of his father the following year, Moliere went to the College de Clermont, which he left in 1641. He had a taste for philosophy, and at college he became imbued with the ideas of the Aristotelian system; but after coming to Paris he turned his attention to Lucretius and translated the Be Natura llcrum. He then appears to have studiedlaw; but in 1642 we find him acting as "valet tapissier" to Louis XIII., and in the next year he became a comedian, and made the acquaintance of the family Bejard, who had a great influence on his life, for one daughter, Madeleine, became his mistress or firm friend, and in 1642 he married another daughter of the family, Armande, whom,. however, his enemies and calumniators (who were< many) represented as being the daughter of his mistress Madeleine. He played for some years in different parts of France, and in 1653 produced at Lyons his first comedy, L'Ftourdi. In 1656 his second comedy, Bepit Amouveux, was produced at Bezieres. Conti had patronised him, but, turning religious, threw over the actor, and even wrote against him at a later period. However, Moliere had already made his mark, and in 1658 was commanded to play before Louis XIV. The next year appeared his Precieuses Ridicules, afterwards expanded into Femmes Savantcs. In 1660 appeared Sganarelle, and many other plays followed in rapid succession, among the best known of these being Le Tartufe, Le Misanthrope, Festin de Pierre, Le Medecin malgre Ltd, Georges Bandin, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, L'Avare, Le Malatle Imaginaire. He was a good actor, and played right up to the time of his death. Moliere is one of the few earlier French writers who has found as great favour in the eyes of foreigners as in those of his own countrymen. Moliere is said to have read his plays to his housekeeper with a view to discovering how an audience would take them. His clerical enemies pursued him beyond the grave by denying his body Christian burial, but the king's insistence obtained for him this privilege.