Moliere is known as the greatest writers of all time in French comedy today. He premiered his final play, Le Malade Imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid) on this day in 1673.
Google Doodle celebrates the life and works of French actor and playwright, Moliere. The doodle
Early Life
Moliere was a son of a successful furniture maker and upholsterer to the royal court, he refused to take up family trade and began his career in the theatre in 1640. He always insisted that his plays were made for the stage. Strong in his opinion, he believed comedies were made to be acted.
Moliere’s first Paris play, Les Precieuses ridicules (The Affected Young Ladies) was performed in 1660 and premiered at the Theatre du Petit-Bourbon, a great house adjacent to the Louvre.
Le Malade Imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), a satire on the medical profession, was his final play that was premiered on this very day on 1673.
He starred in the title role of Argan, a severe hypochondriac who tries to convince his daughter to forsake her true love and marry his doctor’s son, so as to save on medical bills.
His satirical plays criticized human foolishness that also blended ballet, music, and comedy into a new genre.
The playwright’s religious satire Tartuffe was first performed in 1664, but was immediately banned by the court of King Louis XIV.
Five years later after the ban was lifted and Tartuffe came to be considered one of his masterworks.
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