Moliere playwright biography
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There, he produced a string of popular works that expanded his fame and influence.
Ancient Greek Poet Hesiod
The Comédie-Ballet and Court Entertainments
Molière’s relationship with the royal court provided both security and creative opportunity. As a comic dramatist he ranks with suchother distinctive masters of the genre as Aristophanes, Plautus, andGeorge Bernard Shaw.
He also wrote a number of pastorals and other indoor andoutdoor divertissements, such as his popular comedy-ballets, thatdepended on a formidable array of stage machinery (mostly importedfrom Italy) capable of providing swift and startling changes ofsumptuous scenic effects.
e was born on Jan.15, 1622, to Marie and Jean Poquelin; his father was a Parisianfurniture merchant and upholsterer to the king.
The king’s patronage protected Molière from censure and ensured the continued success of his troupe, which was renamed “La Troupe du Roi” (The King’s Troupe).
Intellectuals such as Nicolas Boileau also defended Molière’s contributions to French literature, recognizing the value of his comedic vision and stylistic innovation.
Personal Life and Later Years
In 1662, Molière married Armande Béjart.
The French language itself bears his mark, with several expressions originating from his works entering common usage. The play was initially banned after protests from the Catholic Church and religious factions, only to be later approved after Molière revised it under royal protection. This influencewas enhanced by Molière's sharing of the Théâtredu Petit-Bourbon in Paris with the Italian Players, led by thecelebrated Scaramouche.
The condition worsened greatly, but Molière had little faith in medicine.
What is Molière’s legacy in modern culture?
Molière remains a central figure in French culture. His works are widely performed, studied, and celebrated, and he is regarded as the father of French comedy.
As a comic dramatist he ranks with such other distinctive masters of the genre as Aristophanes, Plautus, and George Bernard Shaw.
There he received a solid classical background, and he may have known some future freethinkers, such as the dramatist Cyrano de Bergerac (1619–1655). In 1671 Les Fourberies de Scapin, a bright comedy similar to his early works, was presented. He insisted on completing the show but died later that evening at home, without receiving the last rites.
Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Scott, Virginia. Though little is known of his early childhood, he endured the loss of his mother at the age of ten, an event that likely shaped his emotional and intellectual development.
His formal education began at a local elementary school, followed by advanced studies at the Jesuit-run Collège de Clermont, a prestigious institution now known as Lycée Louis-le-Grand.
Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1990. He composed 12 of the most durable and penetratingly satirical full-length comedies of all time, some in rhyming verse, some in prose, as well as six shorter farces and comedies.
His plays compose a portrait of all levels of 17th-century French society and are marked by their good-humoured and intelligent mockery of human vices, vanities, and follies.
In 1643, at the age of 21, he abandoned a secure future in civil service to join the world of acting and playwriting.
A portrait of Molière.