France’s Shakespeare

The son of a court upholsterer, Molière (1622- 1673) was a bright child with an overactive imagination, who attended the Jesuit-run College de Clermont. After he left Clermont, Molière decided his true calling was the stage, and he went on to form L’Illustre Théâtre. The early years of the troupe were fraught with problems; however, as Molière grew in favor with the King, he and his company moved up to the Théâtre Palais-Royal, when he wrote most of his famous comedies. His final years were spent in sickness. He suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, likely contracted while spending a night in debtor’s prison.