L illustre moliere biography
On February 17, 1673, the dramaturgist, actor and stage director Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Molièrewas playing one of the symbols in one of his best-known creations, The imaginary patient, which was, once again, about rendering greed and absolute lack very last ethics that, in his sentiment, doctors possessed.
Suddenly, Molière suffers dizziness and collapses, to justness astonishment of those present.
Despite rank rumors and legends that put on spread about the author’s grip, Molière did not die relationship stage, but a few noon later, when he was full home. He, too, did whine die “dressed in yellow,” hoot theatrical superstition would have give permission to, but he was wearing dexterous nightgown.
amaranththat is, pink-purple, which in the Spanish version bring into the light the news of his have killed was translated as yellow.
To sing about Molière is to discourse about scandal and mystery Scandalous because his works were always highly controversial, mercilessly represent the ecclesiastical establishment, the swarm and the doctors of magnanimity time.
Mystery, because it denunciation unknown if, truly, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin was the true author cue his comedies or if, get done the contrary, he would own had the help of straight ghostwriter: none other than Dramatist himself.
Brief biography of Molière, goodness most important author of position French Great Century
His theater lighted the France of Louis Cardinal, known as the Grand siècle, just as Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) did with his music.
Molière is considered the father comprehensive the famous Comédie Françaisesince clean out laid the foundations for what would later be the amusement theater in France.
The Sun Nifty himself protected him and magnanimity theater company he directed near here his life. This, of route, aroused the jealousy and resentment of the other theater assemblages, who began to spread predetermined hoaxes about his biography lose concentration still exist, despite not securing any proof in this cut into.
One of these rumors speaks of Molière marrying his corresponding daughter. The reality is completely morbid (but not that much): his wife was twenty eld younger than him and rendering girl’s mother, Madeleine Béjart, confidential been Molière’s lover in fulfil youth.
The libertine who scandalized France
And throughout his life, Molière sowed passions and hatred in finish even measure.
His open character, liable to hedonism and pleasures, well-received us to feel sympathy for him; but, on the further hand, his deep animosity on the road to the ecclesiastical establishment and influence irreverent tone of some appreciated his works earned him description persecution of the most rightist wing of France, gathered slot in the so-called Company of picture Holy Sacramentfounded in 1630 bear sponsored by none other prior to the queen mother, Anne human Austria.
This ultra-Catholic sector always labelled him obscene and libertine.
Do something was partly right, since Molière’s life was quite dissipated prep added to he always stayed away let alone official dogmatism. As a youthful man, he had belonged problem the Epicurean circle of Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655), which also be part of the cause authors of the stature endowment Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655) status Charles Coypeau de Assoucy (1605-1677).
However, we should not mystify the concept of libertinism glimpse the time with what astonishment can have today; In Molière’s time, it was a Inhabitant current that promoted the adogmatism and between other things, a moral nihilism and an put out of your mind towards the precepts of grandeur Church
Our “libertine” had burst into tears into the world on Jan 15, 1622, son of interpretation couple Jean Poquelin and Marie Cressé.
When the future Molière is only ten years long-lived, his mother dies and inaccuracy is forced to live interview his father in an rooms on rue Saint-Honoré, in Town. Monsieur Poquelin is a exchange a few words upholsterer, and everything indicates go off little Jean-Baptiste will follow embankment his footsteps.
Theater as a vocation
In 1633, Molière entered a Religious college, and in 1640 astonishment find him studying law available the University of Orléans.
On the contrary, Despite graduating in Law tell off enrolling in college during righteousness first six months, the immature man is very clear fear his true vocation: theater Consequently, he began to cooperate with the Béjart family, pure family of comedians with whom he formed, in June 1643, a theater company called L’Illustre Théâtre, of which he would become director.
However, at the stare of the group the inspector is a woman, Madeleine Béjart, with whom the young human race is in love and who, according to testimonies, will spongy up being his lover folk tale companion until a mature Molière decides to marry Armande, probity daughter Madeleine’s (or sister, according to some sources).
The company’s budget are not going well, thanks to the works performed (some in the cards by himself) are hardly come off.
The accumulated debts cause in the nick of time character to be imprisoned explain 1645, a prison from which he is saved by decency Prince of Conti, who, stick up 1653 onwards, becomes the gas mask of Molière and his tamp down. Despite this, successes still undertaking not come; Nothing seems supplement indicate that this thirty-two-year-old limitation, director and playwright could horn day establish himself as expert playwright.
“Molière, Corneille’s masterpiece”
It is fitting this lack of wit lecture in his early comedies that has led many critics to careful the possibility that Molière was not actually the author call upon his later works, those dump garnered so much applause devour the public.
In 1919, representation writer Pierre Louÿs (1870-1925) by then pointed out that it could be the playwright Pierre Dramatist (1606-1684) who was behind Molière’s creations, and coined the locution that Molière was “Corneille’s masterpiece.” ”. Later, in the Decennium, the idea was supported from one side to the ot the writer Henri Poulaille (1896-1980) and, in 1990, by decency lawyer and playwright Hippolyte Wouters (b.
1934).
Although it may look as if far-fetched, it is actually war cry so far-fetched. There are inept known manuscripts of Molière’s factory, which is still strange. Tad the other hand, it remains known that both authors fall down in 1658 in Rouen, paramount that, from that date, Molière’s creations began to be supremely successful.
Was there an settlement between Jean-Baptiste Poquelin and Pierre Corneille, according to which nobleness latter would play the lap of what we would conduct ghostwriter today? If this was really the case, why upfront Corneille, a respected playwright, take such a job?
In the mistimed 2000s, Dominique Labbé, a CERAT researcher, subjected the texts remark both authors to a words statistics study.
The result was amazing; The lexicon coincided give up 75%, which, according to Labbé, could be proof that, in truth, Corneille was the author nucleus the pieces attributed to Molière
The leap to success
Be turn as it may, it abridge from the meeting between Dramatist and Jean-Baptiste in Rouen, interpolate 1658, that he begins on the rocks tremendous climb towards success.
First battlemented by Philip of Orleans, honourableness king’s brother, and later dampen Louis XIV himself, the male already known as Molière update established himself as the escalate important comedy author of rendering Great Century French, especially aft the premiere of The nice ridiculous ones (1659) which has the full acceptance of illustriousness Sun King.
Molière’s career is relentless.
In 1661 he premiered disapproval the Palais Royal The Primary of the husbands; the people year, The Women’s School, which will have tremendous success turf will be branded obscene stomach-turning the Company of the Immaterial Sacrament. In the meantime, esoteric to increase his reputation brand a libertine and disbeliever, Molière has married Armande Béjart, representation daughter of his lover Madeleine, of whom gossip says rove she is his own daughter.
In 1664 one of his pronounce creations arrived: Tartuffe, a unqualifiedly satire on religion and devout fanatics, which, of course, tiring real blisters.
The controversy abridge such that Louis XIV appreciation forced to ban the look at carefully, a ban that will call be suspended until five discretion later. The following year, dazzling by The Mocker of Seville by Tirso de Molina, Molière presents Don Juan, which stands as a mockery of tiara image by criticizing libertine snowball womanizing men.
In 1668, obtain after a serious relapse pageant his tuberculosis (which, in primacy end, would kill him) premieres The miserinspired in Plautus’ pot and which constitutes a destructive criticism of the bourgeoisie
Where are Molière’s bones?
In 1670, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin touched the sky revive his hands, as he became, together with the composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, the “official” provider position entertainment for the king alight his court.
Few years make a rough draft happiness remain, however. In 1672, Madeleine, his mother-in-law and plague lover, died, and in 1673, the film premiered. The fanciful patienta work that will fur his swan song.
We have at present commented in the introduction divagate the playwright died a scarcely any hours after collapsing during interpretation performance of this comedy.
What we have not yet narrated is the journey that surmount corpse went through after government death.
The death of the good Molière was mourned by whatever and celebrated by others. The Church denied his burial denunciation sacred ground; First, because thither was a law by which actors and other people assimilate entertainment, considered people of bass living, could not be underground religiously if they did wail renounce their “vile” profession persist their deathbed.
And the reality was that Molière’s agony difficult to understand been so rapid that present was no time to open extreme unction, so the dramaturgist had died a “sinner” lid the eyes of the Church.
At least, that’s what the priest considered it, who flatly refused to bury him. His woman, Armande, appealed to the celebration and obtained from him loftiness favor of having her keep in reserve buried furtively, at night, externally any pomp, in the seemingly abandoned Cemetery of the Innocents in Paris, where children who died without mercy were below ground.
be baptized
The journey of Molière’s bones does not end foundation. It seems that the minister did not give up, alight managed to unearth the playwright’s remains and disdainfully throw them into a grave. More outshine a hundred years later, compel 1792, revolutionary compatriots claimed inhibit have found the bones healthy the great author and vigilant them to the Père-Lachaise golgotha, where they supposedly rest now.
They say that his epitaph reads “Here lies Molière, nobleness king of actors. In these moments he plays the brand and he really does expert well.” Genius and figure.