Celebrity Graveland

January 15, 1622¹ – February 17, 1673

Arguably the greatest and most prolific playwright in the history of the French language, Molière (née Jean-Baptiste Poquelin) wrote more than 30 comedies, farces and tragicomedies. At the height of his popularity, he was the toast of Paris and had major fans in the Duke of Orléans and the Duke’s older brother…a guy named Louis XIV.

Molière satirized everything (except the monarchy) and drew ire from those he poked fun at. But, he rarely got in trouble for his works (thanks to the monarchy) and enjoyed a fair amount of success later in his life. His plays have been thoroughly translated into every major language and his master works like The Misanthrope, Tartuffe, The School for Wives and The Miser are still being produced today

Born into an upper-class, bourgeois family, Jean-Baptiste was on track to work in public service before he was bitten by the acting bug. Despite his father’s protestations, his acting career was notable and he began to write his own material early on. He founded a number of theatres with his partner, Madeleine Béjart, many of which struggled to earn them money. He spent a couple of days in debtor’s prison when one of the companies went bankrupt. For more than 10 years after, though, they did find success traveling from region to region in France, eventually landing back in Paris where Molière was able to perform in front of the king. The king’s brother, Philippe, the Duke of Orléans, became Molière’s chief patron and the rest was French literary history.

In 1661, Molière accidentally invented the Broadway musical….hundreds of years too early. When staging a new show for the king that incorporated both comedy and ballet…he sort of had to smoosh the two together due to casting restraints and the “comédies-ballets” was born. He would go on to produce a dozen more of these hybrid shows.

In 1662, he married Armande Béjart, who may or may not have been Madeleine’s sister…or daughter. Who’s to say?

In 1673, Molière suffered a coughing fit and hemorrhage during a performance of The Imaginary Invalid. He insisted on finishing the show. Which he did. Then he died. Actors at the time weren’t allowed sacred burials, but when you’re friends with the king…

Either way, some 40+ years after his death, Molière was reinterred at the popular Père Lachaise, where he remains to this day.

Burial

Père Lachaise Cemetery – Paris, FRANCE

Specific Location

Division 25; On Chemin Molière et la Fontaine. Easily visible thanks to its elevated stature and the iron fence surrounding it.

¹ – The date of his christening. No actual birthdate is recorded.

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