Jean Babtiste Poquelin Moliere
1622 - 1673
One of the greatest of all writers of French comedy - master of French classic comedy
Moliere was born in Paris where he received his education but he left home in 1643 to become an actor. He was acting and writing plays from 1645 to 1658 while travelling around French provinces. He came back to Paris to gain his fame and success with his play The Affected young ladies He had his own permanent theatre writing plays for the public in Paris.
The keynote for his whole career was competition with another great French playwright Racine. Molier brought into French theatre a simple way of speaking, no singing while playing yet in his comedies he added some dance and songs. He also added elements of Italian theatre: mimics and gesticulation. He had incredible sense of humour what is portrayed in an excellent way in his comedies.
His plays show the defeat of a lonely man who cries for help which is often refereed to as the "existential situation". It is especially visible in plays like The Misanthrope, Don Juan and The School for Wives. The Misanthrope shows the real nature of a man which is close to absurd and inner drama. The tragism of a human being is the clash between the absolute and relativism, moral thesis and practice which changes the theory into practice in real life.
Most of Molier's plays speak about important themes of politics, philosophy, morality and psychology. He questions the relation between religion and morality, feelings ad emotions with beliefs. His strength as a writer above Racine and Corneille is due to his ability to combine literature with theatre and create a play from a literary piece.He died on stage during the performance of his last play The imaginary Invalid
Other plays:
Don Juan
Love's Cure-All
The Misanthrope
A Doctor Despite Himself
M?licerte
A Comic Pastoral
The Sicilian
Amphitryon
The Confounded Husband
The Miser
Monsieur de Pourceaugnac
The Magnificent Suitors
The Would-Be Gentleman
Psyche
Scapin's Schemings
A Pretentious Countess
Learned Ladies
The Hypochondriac, or The Imaginary Invalid
Essays