Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622–73,) known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered the creator of modern French comedy.
Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin in Paris, Molière declined to join his father’s carpet and upholstery business as a young man. He fled with an actress and her family’s wandering theater troupe. They toured all around the provinces with great success, but kept away from Paris; Molière had been previously imprisoned there for large debts for which he became responsible. When they did return to Paris eventually, Molière tried to win the king’s favor by presenting a tragedy, but Molière received bad reviews for his acting.
Molière found success only when he performed his short farce, Love Is the Doctor. King Louis XIV became a champion of Molière’s work, and even performed as a ballet dancer in one of them.
Molière’s popular plays include the original stage comedies The School for Wives (1662,) Don Juan (1665,) Tartuffe (1666,) The Misanthrope (1666,) The Miser (1668,) The Bourgeois Gentleman (1670,) and The Imaginary Invalid (1673.)
Molière’s works gained widespread success with the public, even if they were criticized by conservative reviewers, the Catholic church, and medical professionals. Other playwrights and theater troupes copied his theatrical style in France and England.
The French national theater, the Comédie-Française, has been popularly known as “La Maison de Molière” (The House of Molière.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Moliere
Doubts are more cruel than the worst of truths.
—Moliere
Topics: Doubt
Frenchmen have an unlimited capacity for gallantry and indulge it on every occasion.
—Moliere
Topics: Nationality, Nation, Nations, Nationalism
Of all follies there is none greater than wanting to make the world a better place.
—Moliere
Topics: Correction, Reform
An erudite fool is a greater fool than an ignorant fool.
—Moliere
Topics: Fools
If everyone were clothed with integrity, if every heart were just, frank, kindly, the other virtues would be well-nigh useless, since their chief purpose is to make us bear with patience the injustice of our fellows.
—Moliere
Haste is not always speed. We must learn to work and wait. This is like God, who perfects his works through beautiful gradations.
—Moliere
Topics: Haste
Oh how fine it is to know a thing or two!
—Moliere
Topics: Knowledge
Unreasonable haste is the direct road to error.
—Moliere
Topics: Haste
One should eat to live, not live to eat.
—Moliere
Topics: One liners, Weight, Food, Diet, Eating
Consistency is only suitable for ridicule.
—Moliere
Topics: Consistency, Change
If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble.
—Moliere
Topics: Courage, Grief
Grammar, which can govern even Kings.
—Moliere
We should conform to the manners of the greater number, and so behave as not to draw attention to ourselves.—Excess either way shocks, and every wise man should attend to this in his dress as well as language; never be affected in anything, but follow, without being in too great haste, the changes of fashion.
—Moliere
Topics: Fashion
Our minds need relaxation and give way
Unless we mix with work a little play.
—Moliere
It is a fine seasoning for joy to think of those we love.
—Moliere
Topics: Joy
People of quality know everything without ever having learned anything.
—Moliere
Topics: Intelligence, Class
There’s nothing quite like tobacco: it’s the passion of decent folk, and whoever lives without tobacco doesn’t deserve to live.
—Moliere
Topics: Smoking
Without knowledge, life is not more than the shadow of death.
—Moliere
Topics: Knowledge
To live without loving is not really to live.
—Moliere
Topics: Love
We are all mortals, and each is for himself.
—Moliere
Topics: Self-Discovery
No one is safe from slander. The best way is to pay no attention to it, but live in innocence and let the world talk.
—Moliere
Topics: Slander, Insults
Every good act is charity. A man’s true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows.
—Moliere
Topics: Charity
I prefer an interesting vice to a virtue that bores.
—Moliere
Topics: Vice
Those whose conduct gives room for talk are always the first to attack their neighbors.
—Moliere
Topics: Hypocrisy
I always write a good first line, but I have trouble in writing the others.
—Moliere
Topics: Writing, Authors & Writing, Writers
Nothing can be fairer or more noble than the holy fervor of true zeal.
—Moliere
Topics: Zeal
The proof of true love is to be unsparing in criticism.
—Moliere
Topics: Romance
It’s true Heaven forbids some pleasures, but a compromise can usually be found.
—Moliere
Topics: Pleasure
There is no rampart that will hold out against malice.
—Moliere
Topics: Hate
One ought to look a good deal at oneself before thinking of condemning others.
—Moliere
Topics: Criticism, Critics, Thinking, Hypocrisy
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