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What was theatre like in 17th Century France?
Theatre in 17th century France was defined by rules. Rules of society and structure, as well as rules of language, character behavior, and story. There was also a growing gulf between the aristocracy and the lower classes, which helped fuel the French Revolution later. Moliere frequently mocked upper classes. Molière was heavily influenced by Commedia dell’arte, and the defining theatrical aesthetic was neoclassicism. Although Molière is a Neoclassical playwright, he went against the rules. -
Birth of Moliere
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin was born on January 15th, 1622 to Jean Poquelin and Marie Cresse in Paris, France. His father was a tapestry maker and his mother came from a wealthy family. -
Early Life and Childhood
His childhood was a relatively comfortable one. However, it was dotted with sadness. Poquelin was extremely close to his mother, whom he lost at the age of 10. After the death of his mother, he lived with his father. He studied at the renowned College de Clermont. -
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Further Education and Work
After finishing his secondary education, Molière studied law briefly and was allowed to practice in 1641. He also pursued his father’s work under Louis XIII, until the king’s death in 1643. -
Becoming "Moliere"
Although expected to take over his father's post, Poquelin decided to devote himself to the theater. Since the theater life was not considered very respectable, he chose nom-de-plum, ‘Moliere’. He had met a young actress, Madeleine Béjart, and he joined a troupe known as the Illustre Théâtre that included Béjart and her family. -
Bankruptcy
In 1645, the new theater troupe he formed went bankrupt. Due to all the bad debts that the theater troupe had accrued, he served two prison terms. -
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Touring France
After serving in prison, Molière joined another company with the Béjarts and toured all over France for the next thirteen years. During this time, he obtained the patronage of the king’s brother Philippe I, Duke of Orléans. In 1655 Molière wrote and produced his first theatrical comedy, L’Étourdi ou les Contretemps (The Bungler). It follows two young aristocrats, Lelio and Leander, have been romancing a woman named Hippolyta, who is now engaged to Lelio. -
Supported by Aristocrats
Molière became the head of the troupe and enjoyed increasing success. He returned to Paris in 1658 and performed Le Docteur Amoureux or The Doctor in Love for the young Louis XIV. Le Docteur Amoureux This play tells the classic story of the controlling parent, who is ultimately lonely and afraid of losing their child. -
Success of Moliere
The king enjoyed the play so much that Molière was awarded the title of Troupe de Monsieur and was granted the right to share the great hall of the Petit-Bourbon with the Commedia dell’arte. That is how Molière met Neapolitan actor Tiberio Fiorilli, whom he admired greatly and was influenced by. -
Moliere Acting
Portrait of Molière in the role of César dans La Mort de Pompée by Pierre Corneille Nicolas Mignard, 1658 -
More Success and Fame
Les Précieuses Ridicules (The Affected Young Ladies) remains one of Molière’s most famous plays after it premiered on November 18th, 1659 at the Petit-Bourbon. The play was the first of his many attempts to satirize certain societal mannerisms and affectations which were then common in France. The play follows the misguided sentiments and affectations of two young ladies from the French provinces. -
Advancing His Plays
Moliere's comedies is what he became known and celebrated for. Les Précieuses Ridicules won Molière the attention and criticism of many, but it was not a huge success. To combat this, he asked Tiberio Fiorillo to teach him the techniques of Commedia dell'arte. His 1660 play Sganarelle, ou Le Cocu imaginaire (The Imaginary Cuckold), is influenced by the Commedia dell'arte and Fiorillo. In this year, his troupe also moved from the Petit-Bourbon to the Palais-Royal. -
Introducing New Theatre Dramas
In 1661, he introduced the comédies-ballets with his play Les Fâcheux (The Bores). These ballets were a mix between dance and performance and were developed accidentally when Molière was enlisted to work on a play and a ballet in honor of Louis XIV. In this year, he also showcased 'L’Ecole des maris’ (The School for Husbands). It centers around the suitors of two sisters. One suitor is controlling and overbearing of his wife and the othe treats his wife more as an equal. -
Marriage and Children
In 1662, Moliere married Armande Béjart, a 19-year-old actress who was either Madeleine's sister or (as some of the playwright's rivals claimed) her daughter by Molière. They had a son two years later, but he died just before his first birthday. He had another son, but the latter also passed away a few days after his baptism. The third child that was born to the couple was a daughter, but since she had no children of her own later on, Moliere did not have any direct descendants. -
Responding to Accusations
Premiering on 1st June 1663, Molière chose to respond to objections concerning l'École des femmes by writing La Critique de l'École des femmes. It was Molière’s enemies, mostly those in the royal court that claimed it was immoral and stolen. This was after he presented one of his most famous plays, “L’École des Femmes” in front of the king. It talks about the absurd disputes people had over his original play in a form of comedy. -
Controversy
Tartuffe (The Imposter or The Hypocrite) in 1664 caused an immediate scandal among the clergy at the time, who objected to the sarcasm that Molière directed against their hypocrisy. Molière's satires attracted criticism from churchmen. The Catholic Church denounced Moliere's study of religious hypocrisy, and succeeded in banning its performance for five years, and continued to harass the playwright for much of the rest of his life. -
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More Works
Although Molière enjoyed the personal support of the king and success, he struggled with illness, marital problems, and depression. Still, during this period he wrote and presented works that show his mastery and genius. Le Misanthrope, presented in June 1666, pleased his admirers. IL'Avare, presented two years later, failed miserably, and Molière faced extreme financial problems. A comedy-ballet, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (1670), helped bring in the public once again. -
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Worsening Health
In the late 1660's, Molière developed a lung ailment from which he never recovered, but he continued to write, act, direct, and manage his troupe as energetically as before. He also developed a bad cough, which he tried to mask as a comic device. When overcome by a coughing fit onstage, he exaggerated it in an attempt to make the audience laugh. The condition worsened greatly, but Molière had little faith in medicine. -
The Impostures of Scapin
In 1671 Les Fourberies de Scapin, a bright comedy similar to his early works, was presented. It was about a man named Scapin who comes to the rescue of two men that secretly fall in love with women who their father has not yet arranged a marriage with. -
Final Performance
Moliere suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, which also took his life in the end. He finally collapsed on February 17th, 1673 after the fourth performance of The Imaginary Invalid, and died at home that evening. The Imaginary Invalid (1673), revolves around a man named Argan who wants his daughter to marry a doctor so he can save on his medical bills. But she's in love with someone else. Soon the whole household joins in her madcap scheme to save true love. -
Legacy
After Molière’s death, his troupe merged with that of Hôtel Bourgogne to create the famous Comédie-Française. Continuing to perform today, the Comédie-Française is the most prestigious company in France and considered the oldest still-active theatre in the world. Even today, Molière’s plays are performed at the Comédie-Française more often than those of any other playwright. -
Interesting Facts
Google has made a doodle celebrating Moliere's life and work which appearing in 2019. In theatre, there is a superstition that it is unlucky for actors to wear the color green. This is because of the death of Molière, as he wore green in his costume in his last performance before he died. -
References
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/jean-baptiste-poquelin-2398.php
https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/moliere/jean-baptiste-poquelin
https://www.notablebiographies.com/Ma-Mo/Moli-re.html
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Moliere-French-dramatist
https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/great-characters/moliere
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-inspiring-life-and-work-of-moli%C3%A8re/ogXhNMvLpHQ-Kg?hl=en