Molière

Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin in Paris and baptized in 1622, he became known by the stage name Molière. He trained for the theater in an era when acting was not always respected, then spent years touring the provinces before winning success in Paris as an actor, playwright, and leader of his own troupe.

Molière is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of French comedy. In plays such as Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, The Miser, and The Imaginary Invalid, he mixed sharp satire with lively stagecraft, exposing fraud, snobbery, greed, and self-importance while still creating funny, human characters.

His career was sometimes controversial, and some of his works faced resistance from religious and social authorities. Even so, his influence endured far beyond his lifetime: he died in Paris in 1673, shortly after a performance of The Imaginary Invalid, and his work remains central to French literature and world theater.