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Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world literature. His extant works include comedies, farces, Tragicomedy, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed at the Comédie-Française more often than those of any other playwright today. His influence is such that the French language is often referred to as the "language of Molière". Born into a prosperous family and having studied at the Collège de Clermont (now Lycée Louis-le-Grand), Molière was well suited to begin a life in the theatre. Thirteen years as an itinerant actor helped him polish his comedic abilities while he began writing, combining Commedia dell'arte elements with the more refined French comedy. Through the patronage of aristocrats inclu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tartuffe
''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; , ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy (or more specifically, a farce) by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical theatre roles. History Molière performed his first version of ''Tartuffe'' in 1664. Almost immediately following its performance that same year at Versailles' grand fêtes (The Party of the Delights of the Enchanted Island/''Les fêtes des plaisirs de l'ile enchantée''), King Louis XIV suppressed it, probably under the influence of the archbishop of Paris, Paul Philippe Hardouin de Beaumont de Péréfixe, the King's confessor and former tutor. While the king had little personal interest in suppressing the play, he did so because, as stated in the official account of the fête: although it was found to be extremely diverting, the king recognized so much conformity between those that a true devotion leads on the path to heaven and those t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Miser
''The Miser'' (; ) is a five-act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed on September 9, 1668, in the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré), theatre of the Palais-Royal in Paris. This is a character comedy whose main character, Harpagon, is characterised by his caricatured avarice. Harpagon is an elderly widower who wishes to have an arranged marriage to the impoverished young woman Mariane, while securing another arranged marriage for his unwilling daughter Élise. He is initially unaware that Mariane is the girlfriend of his own son, or that Élise has a boyfriend. Meanwhile, Harpagon is stubbornly protecting a cassette full of gold. When his gold is stolen, Harpagon considers the entire urban and suburban population to be suspects for the crime. The five acts comprise five, five, nine, seven and six scenes respectively. The characters break the fourth wall by speaking to the audience, though the other characters demand to know who is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state theatre in France to have its own permanent troupe of actors. The company's primary venue is the Salle Richelieu, which is a part of the Palais-Royal complex and located at 2, Rue de Richelieu on Place André-Malraux in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The theatre has also been known as the Théâtre de la République and popularly as "La Maison de Molière" (The House of Molière). It acquired the latter name from the troupe of the best-known playwright associated with the Comédie-Française, Molière. He was considered the patron of French actors. He died seven years before his troupe became known as the Comédie-Française, but the company continued to be known as "La Maison de Molière" even after the official change of name. Hist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Misanthrope
''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' (; ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by the King's Players. The play satirizes the hypocrisy, hypocrisies of French aristocratic society, but it also engages a more serious tone when pointing out the flaws that afflict all humans. The play differs from other farces of the time by employing Dynamic character#Types of characters, dynamic characters like Alceste and Célimène as opposed to the flat caricatures of traditional social satire. It also differs from most of Molière's other works by focusing more on character development and nuances than on plot progression. The play, though not a commercial success in its time, survives as Molière's best-known work today. Because both ''Tartuffe'' and ''Dom Juan, Don Juan'', two of Molière's previous plays, had already been Book ce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Armande Béjart
Armande-Grésinde-Claire-Élisabeth Béjart (; 1645 – 30 November 1700) was a French stage actress, also known under her stage name Mademoiselle Molière.Scott, Virginia (2010). Women on the stage in early modern France : 1540-1750''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . She was married to Molière, and was one of the most famous actresses in the 17th-century. Life She was the daughter of Madeleine Béjart and belonged to the Béjart family, a famous theatre family in 17th-century France. In 1643 her mother Madeleine co-founded, with Molière, the theatre company called Illustre Théâtre. Together, they had three children: Louis (19 January11 November 1664), Marie Madeleine Esprit (3 August 166523 May 1723) and Pierre Jean-Baptiste Armand (15 September11 October 1672). Early career She played her first important role in Molière's company in June 1663, as Élise in the ''Critique de l'école des femmes''. She was out of the cast for a short time in 1664, when she ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comédie-ballet
''Comédie-ballet'' is a genre of French drama which mixes a spoken play with interludes containing music and dance. History The first example of the genre is considered to be ''Les fâcheux'', with words by Molière, performed in honour of Louis XIV of France, Louis XIV at Vaux-le-Vicomte, the residence of Nicolas Fouquet, in 1661. The music and choreography were by Pierre Beauchamp, but Jean-Baptiste Lully later contributed a sung courante for Act I, scene 3. Molière, Lully and Beauchamp collaborated on several more examples of ''comédie-ballet'', culminating in the masterpiece of the genre, ''Le Bourgeois gentilhomme'', in 1670, and the scenically spectacular ''Psyché (play), Psyché'' of January 1671, a ''tragicomédie et ballet'' which went well beyond the earlier examples of the genre.Gaines 2002, p. 394. After quarrelling with Lully, Molière retained the services of Beauchamp as choreographer. His one-act prose comedy ''La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas'' premiered in December ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The School For Wives
''The School for Wives'' (; ) is a theatrical comedy written by the seventeenth century French playwright Molière and considered by some critics to be one of his finest achievements. It was first staged at the Palais Royal theatre on 26 December 1662 for the brother of the King. The play depicts a character who is so intimidated by femininity that he resolves to marry his young, naïve ward and proceeds to make clumsy advances to this purpose. It raised some outcry from the public and established Molière as a bold playwright who would not be afraid to write about controversial issues. In June 1663, the playwright cunningly responded to the uproar with another piece entitled ''La Critique de L'École des femmes'', which provided some insight into his unique style of comedy. Characters and scene The characters are: * Arnolphe, a bachelor who also uses the noble-sounding name of Monsieur de la Souche * Agnès, his innocent teenage ward * Alain, a peasant who is one of his serva ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Les Précieuses Ridicules
''Les Précieuses ridicules'' (, ''The Absurd Précieuses'' or ''The Affected Ladies'') is a one-act satire by Molière in prose. It takes aim at the ''précieuses'', the ultra-witty ladies who indulged in lively conversations, word games and, in a word, ''préciosité'' (preciousness). It was adapted into a lyric comedy and a film. ''Les Précieuses ridicules'' is a biting comedy of manners that brought Molière and his company to the attention of Parisians, after they had toured the provinces for years. The play received its Paris premiere on 18 November 1659 at the Théâtre du Petit-Bourbon. It seems not to have been staged before that in the provinces. It was highly successful and attracted the patronage of Louis XIV to Molière and company. ''Les Précieuses ridicules'' still plays well today. In the play, a man finds two eligible suitors for his daughter and his niece. The young women reject and ridicule them, because they view them as unrefined. In revenge, the men hav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Théâtre Du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré)
The Théâtre du Palais-Royal (; or Grande Salle du Palais-Royal) on the rue Saint-Honoré in Paris was a theatre in the east wing of the Palais-Royal, which opened on 14 January 1641 with a performance of Jean Desmarets' tragicomedy ''Mirame''. The theatre was used by the troupe of Molière from 1660 to 1673 and as an opera house by the Académie Royale de Musique from 1673 to 1763, when it was destroyed by fire.Coeyman 1998, pp. 60–71. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1770, but again was destroyed by fire in 1781 and not rebuilt.Pitou 1983, pp. 26–30. First theatre Cardinal Richelieu The Palais-Royal was originally known as the Palais-Cardinal, since it was built in the 1630s as the principal residence of Cardinal Richelieu. The palace already had a small theatre, the Petite Salle des Comédies, located in the wing running north from the east end of the ''corps-de-logis''. On a 1673 plan it is marked "Petite Salle des Ballets". In 1637 Richelieu asked his architect Jacq ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madeleine Béjart
Madeleine Béjart (; 8 January 1618 – 17 February 1672), was a French actress and theatre director, one of the most famous French stage actors of the 17th-century. She was the co-founder of the Illustre Théâtre. Life She belonged to the Béjart family, a famous theatre family in 17th-century France. Madeleine was the second child of Joseph and Marie-Herve Bejart. She debuted with her elder brother Joseph at the Theatre du Marais and in the provinces in the late 1630s. In 1643 she co-founded, with Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ..., the Illustre Théâtre, of which she was co-director. She was described as a skillful administrator with the ability to avoid conflicts among the staff. She could freely choose to perform any of the roles in the plays by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Les Femmes Savantes
''Les Femmes savantes'' (, ''The Learned Ladies'') is a comedy by Molière in five acts, written in verse. A satire on academic pretension, female education, and '' préciosité'' (French for preciosity), it was one of his most popular comedies and the last of his great plays in verse. It premiered at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal on 11 March 1672. The character Trissotin, the main antagonist, is a caricature of Charles Cotin, an adversary of Nicolas Boileau and Molière, who both saw him as the perfect example of a pedantic scholar and mediocre scribbler.P.-A. Touchard, preface for ''Les Femmes savantes;'' Molière: Œuvres Complètes, Éditions du Seuil, 1962 Short synopsis Two young people, Henriette and Clitandre, are in love, but in order to marry, they must overcome an obstacle: the attitude of Henriette's family. Her sensible father and uncle are in favour of the marriage; but unfortunately her father is under the thumb of his wife, Philaminte. And Philaminte, supported ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The School For Husbands
''The School for Husbands'' is a play written by Molière and originally performed in 1661 in Paris. Inspired by the '' Adelphoe'' of Terence, it was the first of his full length plays, preceding ''The School for Wives'' by a year. The plot centers on the suitors of two sisters, each of whom is a ward of each of the two men. One suitor, Sganarelle, is controlling and overbearing of his intended wife Isabella. The other suitor, Sganarelle's older brother Ariste, treats his intended wife Léonor more as an equal. Ariste eventually finds success in his pursued relationship, while Sganarelle fails miserably, so much so, in fact, that he is unwittingly used by Isabella in seeking her preferred courter, Valère. Characters *Sganarelle, 40 years old *Ariste, 60 years old and Sganarelle's older brother *Valère, in love with Isabella *Ergaste, Valère's valet *A Magistrate *A Notary *Isabella, in ward to Sganarelle *Léonor, Isabella's sister, in ward to Ariste *Lisette, Leonor's maidserv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
