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.

Some of his plays caused a scandal, such as Tartuffe, which denounced the lies of certain religious figures.

In Le Misanthrope, Molière ridicules rich people and their affected manners. 

At the age of 51, while performing Le Malade imaginaire, in which he mocks doctors, Molière fell ill. He died a few days later.

The king then created the Comédie-Française by bringing together different theatre companies, including Molière’s. 

Four hundred years after his birth, his plays are still taught in schools and his criticism of society is still relevant today.