He is an actor and a playwright. Jean Baptiste Poquelin, his real name, was born in 1622 in Paris.
His father was a rich upholsterer who had the honor of looking after the king’s bedroom.
Jean Baptiste was attracted to the theatre. He created his own company, L’Illustre Théâtre, where he took the pseudonym “Molière”.
Unfortunately, he went bankrupt. His company was in debt and Molière even spent a few hours in prison.
He then set off on a tour of France with a travelling troupe for twelve years and wrote comedies.
Back in Paris, he finally found success with the public and King Louis XIV.
Why did he become famous?
Molière criticized power struggles and male-female relationships with humor.
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