{"product_id":"moliere-the-imaginary-invalid-le-malade-imaginaire-9781787800892","title":"Moliere - The Imaginary Invalid: Le Malade Imaginaire","description":"Jean-Baptiste Poquelin is better known to us by his stage name of Molière. He was born in Paris, to a prosperous well-to-do family on 15th January 1622.\u003cp\u003eIn 1631, his father purchased from the court of Louis XIII the posts of \"valet of the King's chamber and keeper of carpets and upholstery\" which Molière assumed in 1641. The benefits included only three months' work per annum for which he was paid 300 livres and also provided a number of lucrative contracts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever in June 1643, at 21, Molière abandoned this for his first love; a career on the stage. He partnered with the actress Madeleine Béjart, to found the Illustre Théâtre at a cost of 630 livres.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately despite their enthusiasm, effort and ambition the troupe went bankrupt in 1645.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMolière and Madeleine now began again and spent the next dozen years touring the provincial circuit. His journey back to the sacred land of Parisian theatres was slow but by 1658 he performed in front of the King at the Louvre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom this point Molière both wrote and acted in a large number of productions that caused both outrage and applause. His many attacks on social conventions, the church, hypocrisy and other areas whilst also writing a large number of comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets are the stuff of legend.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Tartuffe', 'The Misanthrope', 'The Miser' and 'The School for Wives' are but some of his classics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis death was as dramatic as his life. Molière suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis. One evening he collapsed on stage in a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging while performing in the last play he'd written, in which, ironically, he was playing the hypochondriac Argan, in 'The Imaginary Invalid'. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMolière insisted on completing his performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfterwards he collapsed again with another, larger haemorrhage and was taken home. Priests were sent for to administer the last rites. Two priests refused to visit. A third arrived too late. On 17th February 1673, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, forever to be known as Molière, was pronounced dead in Paris. He was 51.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stage Door","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51580122595602,"sku":"9781787800892","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_035ee1c8-1ee2-40a2-98b7-8f3af6d3213a.jpg?v=1756206409","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/moliere-the-imaginary-invalid-le-malade-imaginaire-9781787800892","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}