Moliere

=Jean Baptiste Poquelin- Moliere=

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Moliere who was born with the name of Jean Baptiste Poquelin. He was a French Playwright and an actor. He was baptised in the church of Saint- Eustache on January 15,1622 but it is unclear what the real day of his birth was;people assumed that he was born during this time.Moliere’s was born to his parents, Jean Poquelin and Marie Cresse. He was brought into a French middle class family. His father Jean Poquelin was known to be an interior decorator for the higher class but it is unknown what his mother did. His parents did not agree on his decision of going into theatre (Issue 82Molière‎ and 17th Century French Theatre.). During his young life he grows up in a neighborhood between Les Halles and the Pont Neuf. Later on he became educated by the Jesuits of the College of Clermont(Gertrude). During his life, his grandfather took him to the Hotel de Bourgogne where he saw plays be put on. In the year of 1636 he completed his secondary education in which he studied law and wanted to become a notary. In 1641 Moliere was confirmed as a notary. During this time he was sent away to Narbonne. Within the time he was sent away to Narbonne he decided he wanted to move into theatre in which he would receive the greatest appreciation and name for himself of all time.
 * “It is not only what we do but also what we do not do for which we are accountable”Moliere(Goodreads) ||
 * Moliere and who he is and why is he important. **

=** Important events in Moliere’s Life **= 1622- Jean Baptiste Poquelin was born (Issue 82Molière‎ and 17th Century French Theatre.) 1632- His mother died when he was 10 ( [|__Molière__] ) 1643- Moliere decided to go into theatre 1643- He had his first daughter with Madeline,his wife, and was named Armande 1643- He and Madeline Bejart, her brother Joseph Genevieve Bejart and nine other actors signed a contract. This contract was known as Illustre Theatre. (Gertrude,) 1644- Illustre Theatre begins. 1650-1651- Moliere became a troupe’s principle called Troupe du Roi;also known as the King’s troupe. He became the favorite actor of Prince de Conti.(Gertrude,) 1654- Moliere encounters the Italian Comedians in which he becomes inspired by them. Writes the first scenarios of //The Blunder.// Prince de Conti became Moliere’s opponent in the Society of Holy Sacrament(Gertude). 1656-57. During these years Moliere’s troupe performs in Southwest France. 1658- Took the stage name of Moliere not to embarrass his family. 1662- Moliere married Armande. He performs (//The School for Wives//) 1663- 1664- Has a son but he later dies. 1665- His play //Tartuffe// was still under watch but he begins to write //Don Juan.// Moliere’s troupe was granted a pension by King Louis XIV. 1667- He performs a piece called //(The Impostor)// this was created as a mild version of //Tartuffe//(Gertude). 1668- His friend Mignard dies(Gertrude). 1670- Given permission to perform the play //Tartuffe//(Gertrude). 1671- Moliere has the hall of Palis Royal renovated. 1672- Moliere is fifty years old he had his second son Pierre but he dies. 1673- Moliere does his last play //The Imaginary Invalid// and during this year he loses the King’s favor. During this year Moliere also fought Lully about his Academie Royale(Gertrude).
 * Moliere to be imprisoned for unpaid bills. Moliere’s father rescues him. (Gertrude,)
 * Illustre Theatre is then shut down.
 * The Troupe du Roi, also known as the Kings troupe;then moves to Rouen and prepares to return to Paris.
 * The Troupe du Roi performs in front of King in the Louvre; he begins to enjoy the piece of the play (//The Doctor in love//).
 * They move on to perform in the Theatre de Petit-Bourbon and share this with the Italian Comedians.(Gertrude)
 * (//The School of Wives//), although it was published with a preface describing what was happening and apologies he was still charged with godlessness by Donneau de Vise (Gertude).
 * Also in this year Boursault stages the Portrait of the Painter in which Moliere is portrayed as a cuckold(Gertrude).
 * He also performs The Versailles Impromptu in which he is accused of incest(Gertude).
 * Moliere troupe also does a play called (//The Pleasures of the Enchanted Isle//).
 * Moliere begins to perform the first three acts of //Tartuffe// in front of the King(Gertrude).
 * Moliere was characterized as a demon and told he should be in hell by many higher ups.(Gertrude).
 * Moliere’s play //Tartuffe// was shut down he completes it.
 * Moliere performs in the play (//The Theban Brothers//).
 * 1666- His issues with the play of //Tartuffe// is still going on.
 * He had another daughter named Espirit Madeleine.
 * Became sick and was unable to act for three months, with this Boileau tries to persuade Moliere not to take part in theatre(Gertrude).
 * June 4th, Moliere and his troupe performs //(The Misanthrope)// this play did not have much success but then it was performed with the play (//The Doctor in Spite of Himself)//
 * Stages his play //Amphitryon// at the Palis Royal.
 * //The Miser// was written and performed during this time and did not make a big impact.
 * Moliere began to fall ill again and he gave his money to his father due to the business declining.
 * The play is published with a long preface explaining the play and showing the Petitions to the King.
 * Also published //“The Would Be Gentleman”.//
 * Moliere also went through a difficult time when his father had passed away.
 * Moliere performs //The Mischievous Machinations of Scapin// and //The Countess of Escarbagas// (Gertrude).
 * Writes //The Learned Women.//
 * Moliere dies

=** Moliere’s Theatre Life **= Moliere was supposed to take over his father’s family business but he decided to go into theatre in 1643 (Beginnings in Theatre). Although, his parents were not happy about his decision they allowed him to pursue his dreams. However,his decision led to his parents cutting financial support..For Moliere, theatre life was based upon a set of rules and customs that were strict and needed to be followed. In the beginning of his career in Moliere portrayed humorous and sometimes portrayed more serious roles. Moliere did not like performing a French tragedy, for he felt it was too difficult to perform due to the demand needed on the voice. Comedy during this time was not as strict as the French tragedies, so Moliere decided to pursue comedy instead.With this idea, Moliere was able to have some freedom with both prose and verse. Moliere also wrote and broke up his scenes into French Scenes,this led him to become known as one of the best comic writers during this time(Moliere's Life).

=** How Moliere’s Comedies Were and How they were influenced. **= For Moliere he was a playwright of Comedies. With Moliere’s plays all of them resolved around a central plot and they had a single emotion or thought they were focused around. Moliere also for all his plays breaks all the scenes into French Scenes. In which when someone enters or exits it becomes a new scene.Moliere's comedies had a very heavy influence by Italian commedia dell’arte troupes that started to tour Europe. The different troupe's he saw, encouraged and gave ideas to Moliere with the style of writing for prose and verse. Also he took many different ideas from them on how he would put on the different plays. With the idea of Commedia dell’arte it was based upon improve. Improve is one of the uses of acting Moliere enjoyed very much. Moliere’s beginning pieces were normally based on the ideas of commedia scenarios and included scripted dialogue. Moliere also with the scenarios often performed them by himself. With writing Moliere often wrote the comedies for his company and had the ideas of who would be playing each par t(Moliere's Life). Some of Moliere’s ideas came from other types of plays but one concept he incorporated was the masks but while others used the masks to define the character types Moliere took the masks upon a whole other level of meaning to be used so the people can be made into that character. Moliere used the masks a metaphor to hide the peoples true self(Moliere's Life). For Moliere most of his comedies were mocking and showing rude behavior towards the higher ups but he never mocked the King(Moliere's Life). Although most of his plays had the support of the court he was frequently banned from performing them because they had insults to the nobility or religious clergy. Although some of his plays were banned he was still able to get the reputation of one of the greatest comedians of all time. Moliere's plays are also written into three or five acts. In which he displayed comedy through many different ways. Some of the different ways he expressed comedy are: Comedy of Manners, the comedy of character, romantic comedy, tragi-comedy, comedy ballet, criticism in dialogue, satiric interlude, legendary drama, and a sort of philosophic comedy.

=** Moliere’s Final Years **= Although Moliere was a man of many enemies due to his writing, he was well known in the theatre world, both as a playwright and also as an actor. During his final years of life, he grew very ill and had many personal issues that he needed to work through. During Moliere’s life he had children but only one of them had survived. Also, during his life, he and his wife Armande had separated several years which made it difficult for him. Moliere’s death occurred during his play //The Imaginary Invalid// in Paris, the same place he was born (Moliere's Life). Although some sources have said that he died during his performance on the stage others have said he died offstage. In the article from Shakespeare Theatre about Moliere it's states that he died from hemorrhaging from tuberculosis on February 17,1673. Also there was speculation that Moliere was denied a burial but his wife of that time Armande, fought and petitioned to the archbishop of Paris and the King, until Moliere was buried in the parish cemetery of St- Eustache(Death of Moliere).

=** Play’s Moliere Wrote **= Moliere wrote many different plays but here is brief information about some of his plays that include Tartuffe, Dom Juan, and Le Misanthrope, and The Imaginary Invalid. For the play Tartuffe, the plot is based on the household of Orgon. The plot of the play centers around the spiritual advisor. Then in the end of the play the King himself needs to intervene and dispose of Tartuffe.The play caused issues with religious beliefs also( [|__Molière__] ). media type="youtube" key="qRNIFqZR2JU" width="257" height="194" align="right"

Dom Juan was written during 1664. The play was written mostly in prose but was said to be one of Moliere’s greatest plays. For this play Moliere used a lot of different sources to pull this play together. This play was presented during February 1665 but it was not published until after Moliere’s death ( [|__Molière__] ). Le Misanthrope was first presented in June 1666. For the playwright some of the ideas that were put into it are illness, marital problems, and melancholy. The play is about war with the aristocratic society. Moliere for this play imposed his own vision about society within the play. With this play the man is made to be in comedy form for the final scene especially when he leaves aristocratic society to become the perfect aristocrat ( [|__Molière__] ). For the play Imaginary Invalid it was the last performance Moliere ever had. The play was based on a man named Argan who all he wanted his daughter to do was marry a doctor. This was so he did not need to pay for medical expenses. Many people seem to say that this play may have had a relationship to Moliere’s life. The character in the play was a hypochondriac and with Moliere’s improv skills he was able to be one. Some folks thought he was faking his death when he passed away while playing the role in the play but he was actually dead.

= Names of the Play’s Moliere Wrote = These are the names of the plays that Moliere wrote. The first name is the name of the play in English and then the Second part is the names of the plays written in French. // The Jealous Husband ( La Jalousie du Barbouillé) // (c.1645) // The Flying Doctor The Fleet-Footed Doctor ( Le Médecin volant_ // (c.1648) // The Scatterbrain ( L’Étourdi, ou le Contre-Temps) // (1653) // A Lover’s Quarrel ( Le Dépit amoureux) // (1656) // Affected Young Ladies ( Les Précieuses ridicules)  // (1659)

// The Imaginary Cuckold ( ////Sganarelle, ou le Cocu imaginaire)// (1660) // The Jealous Prince ( Dom Garcie de Navarre, ou le Prince jaloux) (1661) // // The School for Husbands ( L’École des maris) (1661) // // The Nuisances ( Les Fâcheux) (1661) // // The School for Wives ( L’École des femmes) (1662) // // The School for Wives Criticized ( La Critique de l’École des femmes) (1663) // // A Versailles Improvisation ( L’Impromptu de Versailles) (1663) // // The Forced Wedding ( Le Mariage forcé) (1664) // // The Princess of Elida ( La Princesse d’Élide) (1664) // // Tartuffe (1664,1667,1669) // // Don Juan ( Dom Juan, ou le Festin de Pierre) (1665) // // Love Cure- All ( L’Amour médecin) (1665) // // The Misanthrope ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Le Misanthrope) (1666) // // A Doctor Despite Himself ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Le Médecin malgré lui) (1666) // // Melicerte (1666) // // A Comic Pastoral ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pastorale comique) (1667) //

// The Sicilian ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Le Sicilien, ou l’Amour peintre) (1667) // // Amphitryon (1668) // // The Confounded Husband <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">George Dandin, (ou le Mari confondu) (1668) // // The Miser (1668) // // Monsieur de Pourceaugnac (1669) // // The Magnificent Suitors ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Les Amants magnifiques) (1670) // // The Bourgeoiss Gentleman ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme)(1670) // // Psyche (1671) // // Scapin’s Schemings ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Les Fourberies de Scapin) (1671) // // A Pretentious Countess ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">La Comtesse d’Escarbagnas) (1671) // // Learned Ladies ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Les Femmes savantes) (1672) // // The Hypochondriac or the Imaginary Invalid ( <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Le Malade imaginaire) (1673) //

= Famous quotes to do with Moliere’s Pieces: = I f everyone were clothed with integrity, if every heart were just, frank, kindly, the other virtues would be well-nigh useless, since their chief purpose is to make us bear with patience the injustice of our fellows. MOLIÈRE, The Misanthrope (Molière Quotes) One is easily fooled by that which one loves. MOLIÈRE, Tartuffe(Molière Quotes) Solitude terrifies the soul at twenty. MOLIERE, The Misanthrope(Molière Quotes) A little inaccuracy sometimes saves a ton of explanation. MOLIÈRE, L'Etourdi(Molière Quotes) The envious will die, but envy never. MOLIÈRE, Tartuffe(Molière Quotes) He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak. MOLIÈRE, The Misanthrope(Molière Quotes)

=<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">References =

1."Death of Moliere." Death of Moliere. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. < [|__http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/moliere003.html__] >. 2.Gertrude,Mander.Moliere. New York, Frederick Ungar Publishing Co.1973.Print

3."Goodreads." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. < [|__http://www.goodreads.com/__] >. 4."Issue 82Molière‎ and 17th Century French Theatre." Molière‎ and 17th Century French Theatre::Spotlight: E-News from Theatrefolk. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. < [|__https://www.theatrefolk.com/spotlights/moliere-and-17th-century-french-theatre#moliere-s-life__] >.

5."Le Malade Imaginaire." Le Malade Imaginaire. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. < [|__http://www.site-moliere.com/pieces/malade.htm__] >.

6." [|__Molière.__] " __Encyclopedia of World Biography__. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 23 Nov. 2014 < [|__http://www.encyclopedia.com__] >. 7."Moliere's Life." Moliere's Life (n.d.): 3-5. Shakesphere Theatre. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. < [|__http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/_pdf/first_folio/folio_donjuan_about.pdf__] >. 8."Molière Quotes." Molière Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. < [|__http://www.notable-quotes.com/m/moliere_quotes.html#ZkJCIDJpcfsiTriP.99__] >. 9." [|__Molière.__] " __UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography__. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 23 Nov. 2014< [|__http://www.encyclopedia.com__] >. 10.Moore, Will G. "Beginnings in Theatre." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. EncyclopediaBritannica, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. __http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/388302/Moliere/12109/Beginnings-in-theatre.__