Molière

Molière was the stage name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (15 January 1622 – 17 February 1673), a French playwright, actor, and theatre director who became one of the foremost figures in French comedy. He helped develop the modern form of the comédie and is known for balancing sharp social satire with lively character comedy.

In 1643 he co-founded the Illustre Théâtre in Paris with Madeleine Béjart; after a period of financial difficulties the company dissolved. He later formed a new troupe that toured the provinces, returning to Paris in 1658 with royal patronage. From the early 1660s his company performed at the Palais-Royal and achieved sustained success, though some works provoked controversy and censorship, notably Tartuffe (1664) which was temporarily banned and later revised.

Among his best-known plays are Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, The School for Wives, Don Juan, The Bourgeois Gentleman, The Miser, and The Imaginary Invalid. Molière wrote in a mix of verse and prose and blended sophisticated wit with physical comedy and social critique, focusing on hypocrisy, pretension, and the manners of the Parisian bourgeoisie.

After his death in 1673 the troupe survived through the 17th century and eventually became part of the Comédie-Française in 1680, cementing his legacy in French theatre. His work continues to be revived and studied as a cornerstone of classic French drama and the comedy of manners.