All the ills of mankind, all the tragic
misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the
failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill at
dancing. – Moliere
Born on Jan. 15 in
1622, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Moliere, was a French
playwright and actor considered one of the greatest masters of comedy in
Western literature. Among his best-known
works are The Misanthrope, Tartuffe and The Miser. He was one of the
first theatrical writers to combine his words with music and dance – a precursor
to today’s musical theater if you will.
Moliere
An actor first, Moliere
died on stage, while performing the last play he had written – ironically
titled The Imaginary Invalid. Playing the role of a hypochondriac, he had
a severe coughing fit and collapsed during the last act; many in the audience
thinking it was part of the script. True
to the old saying of “The show must go on,” he insisted on finishing the
performance and then died shortly afterward.
An equal favorite of
nobility and the common man, he was hated by religious leaders for his
criticism of religion, not unlike writers who satirize and criticize religion in today’s society. His works continue to resonate and are
performed throughout the world. As his
quote above notes, he was a patron of and supporter of the dance, which he said
would keep people so preoccupied and in good spirits that they wouldn’t have
time for mischief and misdeeds.
“The duty of comedy,”
the playwright added, “is to correct men by amusing them.”
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