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biography
| name: |
Molière
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pseudonym of Jean Baptiste Poquelin
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pronunciation:
[molyair]
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1622–73)
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| biography:
| Playwright, born in Paris, France. He studied with the Jesuits at the Collège de Clermont. In 1643 he embarked on a theatrical venture under the title of L'Illustre Théâtre, which lasted for over three years in Paris. The company then proceeded to the provinces, and had sufficient success to keep going from 1646 to 1658, obtaining the patronage of Philippe d'Orléans. In 1658 he played before the king, and organized a regular theatre. From the publication of Les Précieuses ridicules (1659, trans The Affected Young Ladies), no year passed without at least one major dramatic achievement, such as L'Ecole des femmes (1622, The School for Wives), Tartuffe (1664), Le Misanthrope (1666, The Misanthropist), and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (1670). He died after acting in a performance of his last play, Le Malade imaginaire (1673, The Imaginary Invalid). Widely recognized as one of the greatest French dramatists, many of his plays have also been translated for performances in English theatres, giving him a considerable reputation abroad. |
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