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Jean-Baptiste Poquelin was born in Paris between January 13 and January 15, 1622, to Jean Poguelin, a 25-year-old tapestry-maker who worked for the King of France starting in 1631, and Marie Cresé, a 20-year-old woman. He lost his mother at the age of 10. From 1638 to 1640, he attended the Jesuit college of Clermont, after which he briefly pursued a career in law and continued his father's tapestry work under Louis XIII, particularly in Narbonne. Following the King's death in 1643, Jean-Baptiste co-founded L'Illustre Théâtre, located at the jeu de paume des Métayers in the faubourg Saint-Germain, Paris. In 1644, he adopted the stage name Molière, but his company faced financial struggles due to limited success, resulting in Molière being imprisoned twice in 1645 for debts. The troupe toured various French cities, including Lyon, Grenoble, Dijon, and Narbonne, and in 1653 became the troupe of the Prince de Conti in Pézenas, Languedoc.
In 1654, Molière debuted his first play, "L'Etourdi," in Lyon, followed by "Le Dépit amoureux" in Béziers in 1656. That same year, the troupe lost its funding from Prince de Conti, who grew increasingly opposed to theatrical productions. Returning to Paris in 1658 under the protection of the King's brother, they performed "Nicomède" and "Le Docteur amoureux" at the Vieux-Louvre before King Louis XIV and his court. Louis XIV invited Molière to perform at the Petit-Bourbon, where his first two plays eventually gained considerable acclaim. In 1659, Molière presented his third play, "Les Précieuses Ridicules." After his younger brother's death, Molière resumed managing the family tapestry business, which he maintained until his own death. That year, he also staged "Sganarelle ou le Cocu imaginaire," and the troupe relocated to the Palais-Royal. Attempts by rival actors to split Molière's company failed. He continued his success with "L'Ecole des maris" in 1661 and "L'Ecole des femmes" in 1662.
Molière married Armande Béjart in 1662, the year his troupe was accepted at the King's court. They had a son, Louis, in 1664, with Louis XIV serving as godfather, but the child died before his first birthday. That same year, members of the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement sought to ban Molière's play "Le Tartuffe," though it was performed in May. The troupe also staged Jean Racine's debut play "La Thebaïde," followed by "Alexandre" the next year; however, tensions arose when they learned Racine had his play performed elsewhere. Armande gave birth to their daughter, Esprit-Madeleine, in 1665. Molière premiered "Dom Juan" in 1665, followed by "Le Misanthrope" and "Le Médecin malgré lui" in 1666. In 1667, the troupe performed Pierre Corneille's "Attila" and Molière's "L'Imposteur," the latter banned after a single showing. Molière began experiencing health issues. The troupe went on to present "Amphitryon," "George Dandin," and "L'Avare" in 1668; "Tartuffe" again in 1669—the year Molière's father passed away; "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme" in 1670; "Les Fourberies de Scapin" and "Psyché" in 1671; and "Les Femmes savantes" in 1672.
In 1672, Molière clashed with Jean-Baptiste Lully over the rights to use music in plays, as Lully controlled musical performances through his Académie Royale de Musique. That same year, Molière's second son, Pierre-Jean-Baptiste-Armand, was born but died shortly after baptism. In February 1673, during the fourth performance of his final play, "Le Malade Imaginaire," Molière collapsed and died hours later at his home on rue de Richelieu, Paris. His wife secured permission from the King to bury him in a cemetery, an honor usually denied to actors. Their daughter was the only child to survive into adulthood but had no descendants, leaving Molière without direct heirs.
