(Jean Baptiste Poquelin) (1622-1673) French actor and playwright, famous for such comedies as Tartuffe and The Miser.
Pen name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622-1673) French satirical dramatist and actor. Modern French comedy developed from his work. After the collapse of the Paris Illuster Théâtre (of which he was one of the founders), Moličre performed in the provinces 1645–58. In 1655 he wrote his first play, L’Etourdi/The Blunderer, and on his return to Paris produced Les Précieuses ridicules/The Affected Ladies 1659. His satires include L’Ecole des femmes/The School for Wives 1662, Le Misanthrope 1666, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme/The Would-Be Gentleman 1670, and Le Malade imaginaire/The Imaginary Invalid 1673. Other satiric plays include Tartuffe 1664 (banned until 1697 for attacking the hypocrisy of the clergy), Le Médecin malgré lui/Doctor in Spite of Himself 1666, and Les Femmes savantes/The Learned Ladies 1672.
Moličre's comedies, based on the exposure of hypocrisy and cant, made him vulnerable to many attacks (from which he was protected by Louis XIV) and marked a new departure in the French theater away from reliance on classical Greek themes. + prikaži više