Molière

The youth of Molière

Wire of Jean Poquelin, rich merchant-tapestry maker established Street Saint-Honore with Paris, Jean Poquelin is baptized the January 15th 1622 with the parish Saint-Eustace, probably born the same day or the day before. Two years later, the child, following the birth of an younger brother also baptized Jean, will be called Jean Baptiste.

His/her mother, Marie Cressé, die in 1632 whereas it is only ten years old, her father remarie with Catherine Fleurette, another girl of tapestry maker, of which it will have five children. From 1633 to 1639 he is pupil with the Collège of Clermont (current Louis-the-Large Lycée), held by Jésuite S, one of the most crested establishments of the capital. Jean-Baptiste made there of excellent studies (Latin, mathematics, physics, philosophy but also fencing and dance).

Thanks to his grandfather, it could attend with the stage performances of the Hôtel of Burgundy, but also those of the improvisations on groundwork of the Italian , or with the comic jokes of Gaultier-Garguille or Guillot-Gorju. According to certain sources, it would have had as a school-fellow the prince de Conti, which will become one of its guards.

The December 18th 1637, it lends the oath of royal tapestry maker, thus taking again the load of his/her father near Louis XIII. It is not known if Molière exerts or not its new trade, always is it that in 1640 it becomes acquainted with a family of actors, the Béjart and it falls in love with Madeleine, protected from the Duc of Modena. The same year, it meets Tiberio Fiorelli, perhaps Scaramouche celebrates it, and takes lessons near him.

It is thought that in 1641, it follows the teaching of Gassendi, philosopher epicurean and Master of the libertines, who taught with Mothe Vayer, Cyrano of Bergerac, Chapelle and of Assoucy.

In 1642, it takes its licenses of right to the Université of Orleans and returns to Paris where it is registered with the bar for six months, then it replaces his father who wants to leave him his load and sees of an evil eye his frequentation of Béjart, and follows the court of Louis XIII in Narbonne.

In January 1643, Jean-Baptiste gives up the load of his father who cuts the vivres to him. Madeleine Béjart is confined of a little girl, Armande, that the duke of Modena recognizes as being of him. June 13rd, the constitutive instrument of the Illustrates Theater, under the direction of Madeleine Béjart, is signed.

Difficult beginnings

In 1644, the troop plays in province. In July they are of return to Paris and Jean-Baptiste became “Molière” and director of the troop. On the choice of this name of scene, Grimarest, its first biographer, writing: “never he did not mean any the reason, even with his best friends”. The troop plays Jeu de Paume of the Sharecroppers and essuie a bitter failure.

The troop goes bankrupt in 1645 and Molière is imprisoned with the Châtelet during a few days, then his/her father pays the debts of the troop to make it leave and, as soon as released, the troop leaves in province to join some another directed by the actor Dufresne, with the service of the duke of Épernon, governor of Guyenne. Between January 1646 and March 1657, the troop plays Nantes, Albi, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Poitiers, Vienna, Narbonne, Agen, Pézenas, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Dijon, Avignon, Bordeaux, Béziers, Rouen. In 1653, the troop passes to the service of prince de Conti, brother of the large Cop and new governor of Guyenne. But this one ends up yielding to the religious pressures moment and carries out a conversion. The theater then becomes for him synonymous with perdition and it drives out its house the troop which passes then to the service of the governor of Normandy.

Molière gives up his tragic claims: he is a large comic high-speed motorboat and becomes again chief of troop in 1650. He composes of the jokes on the Italian model, with only one groundwork. He creates the character of Mascarille in his first true parts: Thoughtless the (Lyon, 1655), Spite in love (Béziers, 1656). In 1658 it becomes acquainted with Corneille growing old and plays Rouen.

The beginning of glory

Molière turns over to Paris in 1658, it plays Jeu of palm of the Marsh. Protected by Mister, brother of the king, he then plays in front of Louis XIV a tragedy of Crow, Nicomède , which annoy, and a joke, which is a triumph, the Doctor in love . Molière has a great comic talent: its voice and its mimicry start hilarity. The Troupe of Molière enjoys soon an unequalled reputation in the comic one, and the king installs it with the Petit-Bourbon , where she plays in alternation with the Italian troop of Scaramouche.

In 1659 the troop loses Joseph Béjart and the Of the Park leave it for the troop of the Marsh. One engages the young actors the Barn and Of Croisy.

November 18th, it is the brilliant success of the ridiculous Précieuses , where Molière in the role of Ascarille give the counterpart to Jodelet, famous actor engaged for the occasion, and the favor of the king. The theater of the Petit-Bourbon east then destroyed for the needs for the construction of the colonnade of Louvre, which involves three months of unemployment for the troop. The king installs Molière in 1660 with the Palais Royal, where Molière gives Sganarelle or the imaginary Cuckold . He is crowned by Baudeau de Somaize (author of the Grand Dictionary of Invaluable the ) “first joker of France”. He loses his younger brother, which makes of him the single heir to the load of his father with which he reconciled himself.

Molière divides, in 1661, the Théâtre of the Palais Royal with the troop of Domenico Biancolelli, known as Arlequin. He presents Dom Garcie de Navarre which is a failure and the School of the husbands which triumphs. The same year, Molière moves in opposite the Palais Royal. August 17th it creates the Annoying , its first Comedy-ballet, with the Château of Be worth-the-Viscount, for Fouquet which receives the king.

In 1662, Molière marries Armande Béjart, twenty years its junior, with whom it will have a Louis son whose king is godfather, baptized the February 24th 1664 and died in eight month and half, a Spirit-Madeleine girl, baptized the August 4th 1665, and another Pierre son, baptized on October 1st 1672 and died the next month. The year of its marriage, it attacks a subject little running at the time: the female condition. the School of the women is a triumph where Armande Béjart holds the role of Agnes. In 1663, because of the excessively pious people who regard Molière as a libertine and the School of the women like a part obscene and irreligious, but also because Molière is the first actor to have received a direct pension of the king, it is attacked in its private life: it is insinuated that he married his own daughter. June 1st he retorts by the Criticism of the school of the women and, on October 18th, he plays in front of the king Impromptu of Versailles , which also gives lighting precise details on the operation of a theater company to the 17th century.

January 29th 1664, Molière presents to Louvre the Forced marriage , where the king dances, dressed up as an Egyptian. It is then named responsible for the entertainments of the court and, from May 8th to 13rd, it chairs the Plaisirs of the magic Island , entertainment presented to Versailles in the honor of the new mistress of the king, M {{lle}} of Vallière. It gives to it to the Princess of Elides which mixes text, music and dance, and resorts to sophisticated machines and a first version in three acts of the Tartuffe that, under the pressure of the excessively pious people, Louis XIV sees itself in the obligation to prohibit during five years. This episode is remained famous under the name of “cabal of the excessively pious people”. This same year, the troop of Molière plays Thébaïde , first part of Racine.

In 1665, one plays only fifteen representations of from now on celebrates Dom Juan . The troop, supported by the king, becomes the Troupe of Roy and receives a pension of 6.000 books per annum, which does not make large-thing when it is known that the receipt of a successful representation is approximately 1.800 books.

September 15th, 1665, Molière gives the Love doctor and on November 27th, patient of a " fluxion" who was probably tuberculosis, Molière is isolated scene for two months. December 4th, the troop plays Alexandre Large the of Root which, disappointed by interpretation, betrays Molière and entrusts its part to the Hotel of Burgundy.

Last works

In 1666, Molière and Armande separate. The Molière June 4th gives to the Misanthropist and on August 6th, the Doctor in spite of him . November 27th it makes a serious relapse which enables him to go up on the boards only in June 1667. During this year it trains the young person Baron, fourteen years old, with the art of the actor. He then tries to play again Tartuffe under a different title, Impostor , but the part is prohibited the following day. It also gives Mélicerte , two acts of comedy which constitute the third entered of the Ballet of the Muses ordered by Louis XIV with the poet Benserade. The king dances there with Henriette of England, girl of Charles Ier of England and Henriette de France.

M {{lle}} Of the Park leaves second Molière once for the Hotel of Burgundy and creates there on November 22nd Andromaque , first triumph of Root.

In 1668 are represented successively Amphitryon on January 13rd, George Dandin in July and Miserly the in September. The health of Molière is very bad and the noise of its death runs already in Paris.

Prohibition to represent the Tartuffe is raised in 1669. The part gains on February 25th a considerable success with a receipt of 2.860 books. The same year, it loses his father and creates with the collaboration of Lully of the comedy-ballets: splendid Lovers , Mister de Pourceaugnac , the Middle-class man gentleman .

In 1670 appears Elomire hypochondriac , insulting part written by the Baker of Chalussay, in which Molière (whose Elomire is the anagram) is turned into ridiculous in a particularly acid way.

In 1671 Molière gives Psyché , Cheatings of Scapin , the Countess of Escarbagnas and the erudite Women .

In 1672 Madeleine Béjart dies who had never ceased being of great importance for Molière. It is reconciled with Armande and Lully intrigues near the king to obtain the exclusiveness in the creation of the ballets.

In 1673 Molière indeed lost the favor of Louis XIV and its Hypochondriac is not played court.

The death of Molière

Taken convulsions during the fourth representation of the Hypochondriac , Molière expires a few hours later of a pulmonary Congestion, the February 17th 1673, at his place and not by playing this part - as the tradition wants it -, without to have abjured the occupation of actor, considered as immoral by the Church.

In the register which it holds scrupulously, the Barn writes this day:

“ This mesme day after the Comedy over the 10 hours of the evening Mister de Molière mourust in his house Street of Richelieu, having played the rosle of said hypochondriac extremely inconvenienced of a cold of fluction on the chest which luy causoit a great cough so that in the grans efforts that it fist to spit it broke a veyne in the body and vescut not demye hour or three fifteen minutes since the aforementioned veyne broken. Its body is buried with S T Joseph, ayde of parroisse S T Eustace. There is a tomb eslevée of a foot out of ground ”.

Thirty-two years later, Grimarest, the first biographer of Molière, details the circumstances of its death, without however to have assisted there (it was 15 years old at the time of the death of Molière):

“ the Actors held the glosses light, and the raised fabric, precisely at four hours. Molière represented with much difficulty; and half of the spectators realized that by pronouncing Juro , in the ceremony of the Hypochondriac , it took a convulsion to him. Aïant noticed itself that one of étoit seen, it was made an effort, and hid by one laugh forced what venoit to arrive to him. When the part was finished it took its dressing gown, and was in the cabin of Baron, and asked him what one disoit his part. Mr. Baron answered him that its works always swage a happy success to examine them closely, and that more one them représentoit, more one them goûtoit. “But”, he, “you added paroissez me more badly than sometimes”. “That is true”, answered him Molière, “I have a cold which kills to me”. Baron after him to have touched the hands, which it found frozen, put to him in his sleeve, to heat them; he sent to seek his carriers to promptly carry it at his place; and it did not leave its chair, for fear it did not arrive to him some accident of the Palais Royal in the street of Richelieu, where it logeoit. One moment after it took a cough extrémement strong to him, and after having spit it asked light. Baron aïant considering blood that he venoit to return, exclaimed with fright. “You do not terrify”, says Molière, “you to him saw me returning well more. However”, he added, “will say to my wife whom she assembles”. There remained assisted of two religious sisters, from those which usually come to Paris to search during the Lent, and to which it donnoit hospitality. They gave him at this last moment of its life all the edifying help that one pouvoit to await from their charity, and it made paroître all the sentimens of a good Christian, and all resignation that it devoit with the will of the Lord. Finally it returned the spirit between the arms of these two nuns; the blood which sortoit by its mouth in abundance choked it. Thus when his wife and Baron went up, they found it dead. I believed that I devois to enter in detail of dead of Molière, for désabuser the public of several stories which one made on this occasion.

“ At once that Molière had died, Baron was in German Saint to inform the King of it; Its Majesty was touched by it, and condescended to testify it. Everyone knows difficultez them that one had to make bury Molière, like a Catholic Christian; and how one obtained in consideration of his merit and the uprightness of his sentimens, which one made information, that it was buried in Saint Joseph. The day that one carried it out of ground it piled up an incredible crowd of people in front of his door. The convoy was done quietly with the clearness of almost one hundred torches, Tuesday twenty one of February”.

In 1817, its skin was transferred to the Cimetière from the Father-Lachaise at the same time as that from the Fountain.

The Barn and Armande, driven out of the Palais Royal by Lully which installs there the royal Académie of music, transport their troop street Guénégaud where it amalgamates with that of the Marsh. In 1680, on decree of the king, it must amalgamate with the troop of the Hotel of Burgundy: it is the birth of future the Comédie-Française.

Polemic on the identity

Its works

; Various works

Thanks with the king , 1663. In 1663, the king had made carry Molière for thousand francs on the list of the pensions which it granted to the men of letters.
Stanzas
Towards
Poems in set rhymes
With the King, on the conquest of the Franche-Comté
Sonnet, with Mr. Mothe it Vayer, on the death of his/her son , 1664
Covering letter of the preceding sonnet
the Glory of the dome of the Valley-of-Grace , 1669
Relation of the Festival of Versailles , July 18th, 1668. This relation is of Michel Félibien, author of the Entretiens on the life and the works of the most excellent old and modern painters . All the interludes are of Molière.

See too

Jean Poquelin, cleaned Adze-the-Berenger;
In 1978, ARIANE Mnouchkine carries out the film Molière which tells the life of the famous author and actor and restores the atmosphere of the time.
In 2007, Laurent Tirard carries out the film Molière , with Romain Duris and Fabrice Luchini.

Illustrates Theater
Troupe of Molière
Comédie-Française
Excommunication of the actors
Affaire Molière - Crow
Nuit of Molières
Claas Hugo Humbert

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