ISTITUTO "M.L.KING" COMENIUS PROJECT A.S. 2006/2007 Moliére

JEAN – BAPTISTE POQUELIN MOLIERE A French dramatist, and one of the greatest of all writers of comedies, his universal comic types still delight audiences; his plays are often produced and have been much translated.

Molière was born in Paris on January 15, 1622, the son of a wealthy tapestry maker. From an early age he was completely devoted to the theater. In 1643 he joined a theatrical company established by the Bèiarts, a family of professional actor. He married one of the members of the family, Armande Bèjart, in 1662. The troupe, which Molière named the “Illustre Theatre”, played in Paris until 1645. The theatre started with a deficit, and Molière, who appears to have been chosen president by his associates, was arrested for debt. He was imprisoned in the chatelet, but released on his own recognizance's. ARMANDE BEJART

In the course of the subsequent wanderings through different parts of France for 13 years Molière composed some small comic pieces of no importance. Before long the “Illustre Theatre” regained confidence to face the Parisian Public. On their return Louis XIV lent the troupe his support and offered them occasional use of the theatre du petit – Bourbon. Next year the troupe, now authorized to call itself “troupe de Monsieur, frere du Roi”

The last twelve years of his saw the production of his most famous works. In 1662 he wrote “L’Ecole des Femmes” which gives a lesson to husbands – which was very creditable to the playwright, for he himself, at the age of forty, had just married a girl of twenty, Madeleine Bejart’s sister, the volatile Armande who was to give him so much trouble.

Giovanni Battista Lulli, creator of the French Opera was often in conflict with Molière. Lulli was under the protection of the King and was much liked by the public. In 1673, while on scene he had a slight stroke but managed to continue. One of the most famous moments in Molière’s life is the last, which became legend: he died on stage, while performing “Le malade imaginaire” strictly speaking, he collapsed on stage, and died a few hours later at his house, without sacraments because 2 priests refused to visit him and third arrived too late. It is said that he was wearing green, and because of thet, brings bad luck to actors. As an actor, he was not allowed by the laws at the time to be buried in an ordinary cemetery in sacred ground. It was his wife Armande who asked the King Louise XIV to allow a “normal funeral celebrated” at night. The King agreed and was buried in the part of the cemetery reserved for unbaptized babies. JEAN BAPTISTE LULLI

Molière had a number of good friends among the italians actors and one of them was Tiberio Fiorilli known as Scaramouche. Molière’ Masterpieces are: “L’ecole des femmes” (1662); “Le Tartuffe”; “Don Juan” (1665); “Le Misanthrope” (1666); “Le medicin Malgre Lui” (1666). Other works not so well known are “Le mariage Forcè” (1664); “La princesse d’Elide”; “L’amour medecin” (1665) and “Le sicilien ou l’amour peintre” (1667). The “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” (1670) was written to please Louis XIV and his desire to make fun of turkish Ambassadors. TIBERIO FIORILLI “SCARAMOUCHE”

“Le bourgeois Gentilhomme” written in 1670: Music by Lulli Monsieur Jourdain a man of recent breeding thinks, like many of his kind, that superficial manners, accomplishments, and speech were the marks of a gentleman. Jourdain is obsessed with “quality” and “respectability” but is a total fool, and his efforts at bettering himself are met with derision. He makes a fool of himself with his ludicrous attempts to be important. Everyone around him including his wife, his daughter, servants and noble hangers-on turn Jourdan into an idiot with their ridicule and trickery. Jourdan also must deal with his daughter Lucille. This is the courtship between Cleonte to marry his daughter because he comes from Jourdain’s old background, he wants Lucille to marry a noble. Cleonte takes advantage of Jourdain’s extreme snobbishness by disguising himself as a turkinsh prince who has heard of Lucille’s famous beauty.

In the “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” we can recognize many elements that characterize our own society today, such as voracious consumerism and the potential and promise of social mobility. Monsieur Jourdain is convinced if he can acquire all the things a man of good taste would have in his possession, he’ll instantly obtain the status of gentleman. While Jourdain is clearly the primary target of laughter in this comedy no one is spared. Ultimately, through his characters’ desires for social approbation, Molière pokes fun at both the middle class who dream of social ascendancy at all costs, and the impoverished nobility, whose outward appearance of dignity thinly conceals a core of dishonesty, desperation and manipulation “c’est la vie”.