Jean-Baptiste Poquelin better known as Molière (1622 - 1673) was a French writer and considered by many to be the world’s biggest comedy writer. Moliére studied with the Jesuits at Collége de Clermont and by the age of 21 he staged his first play, which ran for three years. In 1658 he performed for the king and soon after he founded his theatre. From 1659 he published at least one play a year, his works stretched from simple farces to sophisticated comedies, which made fun of human flaws and ridiculous behavior. In Tartuffe he created one his famous comical characters; a religious hypocrite. The play was so provoking that Louis XIV had to ban its public staging for five years in order not to insult the powerful French clerisy – even though he found it entertaining.
