Life of Moliere

According to Moore & Tobin, Moliere was born in Paris, France on January 15, 1622 and died on February 17, 1673. He was born into a well-to-do family but lost his mother at a very young age. His birth name was Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. He was a poet, actor, playwright and is broadly viewed as one of the most talented and significant playwrights attributed not only to French Literature but also to World Literature. His works consists of a variety of genres, which included comedies, dramatic comedies, tragic comedies, as well as many others. His stage plays have been translated into many different languages and enjoyed by literature buffs around the world. His plays were carried at France’s historical theatre at a volume that exceeds that of any other playwright. He always believed that theatre was his calling in life.

Although his father clearly intended him to practice law, Moliere was determined to part from the norm as he saw it and seek a living on the stage, pursuing a career in the arts. His father ensured that he received a high-quality education at the Collège de Clermont, a school notable for educating some of the country’s most intelligent and notable Frenchmen. In 1643, Moliere was one of several who produced and was featured in comedic plays that was part of a business that was his own.

In 1662 he wed Armande Bejart, a French actress. They had three children but only their daughter lived to see old age. Their marriage was not blissful, as there were rumors of her being flirtatious in nature and made him mistrustful towards her. Moliere worked diligently in theatre and was extremely dedicated and passionate towards his career. His death could attest to the level of effort he put into his work that spanned approximately three decades, until his death at 51 years-old. Although gone, he will be widely remembered for his major works.

Moliere was a prolific playwright and poet. He has been credited with writing and staring in numerous plays. To make the determination as to which is most notable depends on one’s literary analytical perspective. Moliere is regarded as a literary genius by many literary scholar’s and his works have received critical acclaim around the world. One major work of his was his first play, The Romantic Ladies. This was considered a major work, because it was his first play and helped build a reputation that followed him throughout his literary career. Also, the play, like his subsequent works, addressed and satirized specific facets of society, which many people who took offense to because it was too relatable. Another major work was Tartuffe, which also received disapproval. The play made fun of religious hypocrites and certain aspects of the Roman Catholic Church, causing the play to be banned from production. Once Molière became more established, he went on to produce and act in plays in which he also produced.

Another notable work was The Misanthrope. This was said to be the poet’s most knowledgeable of his plays. Although at the time of production, it was not as popular as some of his others. Many believed that it was because, he moved away from his main genres of comedy and romance-based drama to give audiences a more subdued, comical and worrying type of drama. The play would later be referred to as a work of excellence and became the most popular.

The Doctor in Spite of Himself was also one of his major works. This piece was a return to some of his earlier more dramatic works of art. Many believed this piece was an attempt to recover some of his audiences for the not-so-well-received Misanthrope. Another major work was The Imaginary Invalid. This was notable because of the irony that Molière was ill while staring in the play and later died.

Moliere’s contribution to French culture cannot be overstated. His works are unarguably one of the most influential in the scope of French Theatre. He managed to accomplish this in a manner that appeared to combine contrasting ideas such as sorrow, joy, purity, embarrassment, shame, all of which makes his works relatable today. Moliere is considered by literary historians as one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature, especially in terms of his contribution to social comedy in the country of France. In many of his plays, he examined numerous segments of society during the 15th century and entered into the important characteristics of many classes of individuals. His scathing intuition into various character classifications can be compared to the same character types that are present throughout modern-day society in France and around today in the 21st century. The same could be said about his talents as a playwright.

As a playwright, his divulgence into societal problems and interpretation as he witnessed it caused him a great deal of problems during the most productive literary years of his life. He was very critical of hypocrites. Bringing attention to such a major societal problem in a comical way was significant and transcends time, which can be compared to modern day stand-up comedians who do not receive such critical acclaim.

Most significantly, Schneider & Walton use Leon’s The Poet and the Prince: Revising Molière and Tartuffe in the French Revolution to explain the relationship between Moliere and Louis XIV to show Moliere’s standing in France, inspiration and role in the French Revolution. Although some of Moliere’s satirical works received criticism from those leading a moral life, as well as the Catholic Church, the poet has also received literary critical analysis from literary scholars, which have been both negative and positive.

Muller provided a critical literary analysis of Moliere’s Tartuff. He argues that most of Moliere’s works were received with complaint. These complaints normally came from the portion of humanity in which the satire was targeted. Tartuff received such strong criticism mainly because of character representations and portrayals, primarily because of the symbolic importance of them. For one, they placed a strong accentuation on the role of hypocrisy in the Roman Catholic Church during that era. However, Moliere was adamant that the intent was to attack hypocrisy. He would argue that it was not the Catholic Churches that needed transformation but rather its membership.

According to Romanowski, Moliere utilized theatre as a tool for social change during the 15th century. This was accomplished by Moliere’s re-enactment of social transformation for viewers to analyze the changing norms of French society and the way they socialized. This was a successful vehicle used to drive social change because it had a national and global platform to project the message. Looking at Moliere’s role as a playwright and poet in this manner also sheds light on his ability to use literature as a tool to show case control and power, by showing a possible connection between Moliere and Louis XIV.

He also received criticism for mocking those who had little or no education, particularly females born to the wealthy. Looking back, this was also a way to address a societal problem about the inequality of the sexes, but in a comedic way as well. It is important to note that he also addresses French societal issues relating to romance using various genres, such as drama, tragedy, and comedy. However, he will be most known for his literary contributions to World History.

Works Cited

Moore, Will. G. and Tobin, Ronald. W. (2018). Moliere. Britannica, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Moliere-French-dramatist. Accessed 11 April 2018.

Muller, David. G. "Pourquoi sous cette table?": More Candlelight on Molière's Tartuffe. Comparative Drama, Vol. 47(2), 2013, 167-200, https://web-b-ebscohost-com.libproxy.howardcc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=8ea19e70-8fee-4bd7-ae7a-f323736daa00%40pdc-v-sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=88925594. Accessed 11 April 2018.

Romanowski, Sylvie. Moliere's Misanthrope: A critique and reluctant defense of courtly life. Contemporary Theatre Review, 6(1), 1997, 49-63, https://www.scholars.northwestern.edu/en/publications/molieres-misanthrope-a-critique-and-reluctant-defense-of-courtly-. Accessed 11 April 2018.

Schneider, Robert. A. and Walton, Whitney. History, Literature, and the History of French Literature French Historical Studies. Vol. 28 (3), 2005, 377-386, https://web-b-ebscohost-com.libproxy.howardcc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=8&sid=8ea19e70-8fee-4bd7-ae7a-f323736daa00%40pdc-v-sessmgr01. Accessed 11 2018.