Moliére (FRA)

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, (French pronunciation: ​[mɔ'ljɛʁ]; baptised January 15, 1622 – February 17, 1673) was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Among Molière's best-known works are Le Misanthrope (The Misanthrope), L'École des Femmes (The School for Wives), Tartuffe ou L'Imposteur (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), L'Avare (The Miser), Le Malade Imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), and Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The Bourgeois Gentleman).

Born into a prosperous family and having studied at the Collège de Clermont (now Lycée Louis-le-Grand), Molière was well suited to begin a life in the theatre. Thirteen years as an itinerant actor helped him polish his comic abilities while he began writing, combining Commedia dell'arte elements with the more refined French comedy.

Through the patronage of a few aristocrats, including Philippe I, Duke of Orléans – the brother of Louis XIV – Molière procured a command performance before the King at the Louvre. Performing a classic play by Pierre Corneille and a farce of his own, Le Docteur Amoureux (The Doctor in Love), Molière was granted the use of salle du Petit-Bourbon near the Louvre, a spacious room appointed for theatrical performances. Later, Molière was granted the use of the theatre in the Palais-Royal. In both locations he found success among the Parisians with plays such as Les Précieuses ridicules (The Affected Ladies), L'École des Maris (The School for Husbands) and L'École des Femmes (The School for Wives). This royal favor brought a royal pension to his troupe and the title "Troupe du Roi" (The King's Troupe). Molière continued as the official author of court entertainments.

Though he received the adulation of the court and Parisians, Molière's satires attracted criticisms from moralists and the Roman Catholic Church. Tartuffe ou L'Imposteur (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite) and its attack on religious hypocrisy roundly received condemnations from the Church, while Don Juan was banned from performance. Molière's hard work in so many theatrical capacities began to take its toll on his health and, by 1667, he was forced to take a break from the stage. In 1673, during a production of his final play, Le Malade Imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid), Molière, who suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, was seized by a coughing fit and a haemorrhage while playing the hypochondriac Argan. He finished the performance but collapsed again and died a few hours later. 

List of major works:
Le Médecin volant (1645) -- The Flying Doctor
La Jalousie du barbouillé (1650)
L'Étourdi ou Les Contretemps (1655) -- The Blunderer
Le Dépit amoureux (December 16, 1656)
Le Docteur amoureux (1658), the first play performed by Molière's troupe for Louis XIV (now lost) -- The Doctor in Love
Les Précieuses ridicules (November 18, 1659) -- The Affected Young Ladies
Sganarelle ou Le Cocu imaginaire (May 28, 1660) -- Sganarelle, or the Imaginary Cuckold
Dom Garcie de Navarre ou Le Prince jaloux (February 4, 1661) -- Don Garcia of Navarre or the Jealous Prince
L'École des maris (June 24, 1661) -- The School for Husbands
Les Fâcheux (August 17, 1661) -- The Mad
L'École des femmes (December 26, 1662; adapted into The Amorous Flea, 1964) -- The School for Wives
La Jalousie du Gros-René (April 15, 1663)
La Critique de l'école des femmes (June 1, 1663) -- Critique of the School for Wives
L'Impromptu de Versailles (October 14, 1663)
Le Mariage forcé (January 29, 1664) -- The Forced Marriage
Gros-René, petit enfant (April 27, 1664; now lost)
La Princesse d'Élide (May 8, 1664) -- The Princess of Elid
Tartuffe ou L'Imposteur (May 12, 1664) -- Tartuffe
Dom Juan ou Le Festin de pierre (February 15, 1665)
L'Amour médecin (September 15, 1665) -- Love Is the Doctor
Le Misanthrope ou L'Atrabilaire amoureux (June 4, 1666) -- The Misanthrope
Le Médecin malgré lui (August 6, 1666) -- The Doctor in Spite of Himself
Mélicerte (December 2, 1666)
Pastorale comique (January 5, 1667)
Le Sicilien ou L'Amour peintre (February 14, 1667) -- The Sicilian, or Love the Painter
Amphitryon (January 13, 1668)
George Dandin ou Le Mari confondu (July 18, 1668) -- George Dandin, or the Abashed Husband
L'Avare ou L'École du mensonge (September 9, 1668) -- The Miser
Monsieur de Pourceaugnac (October 6, 1669)
Les Amants magnifiques (February 4, 1670) -- The Magnificent Lovers
Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (October 14, 1670) -- The Bourgeois Gentleman
Psyché (January 17, 1671) -- Psyche
Les Fourberies de Scapin (May 24, 1671)
La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas (December 2, 1671)
Les Femmes savantes (March 11, 1672) -- The Learned Ladies
Le Malade imaginaire (February 10, 1673) -- The Imaginary Invalid

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molière