History Creator / Moliere

One of the many children of a French royal tapestry-maker, he tried to follow his father's footsteps and later, to become a lawyer, but his heart wasn't in it, and he ended up writing and directing {{comed|y}}ic stage plays, and playing in them. He became renowned enough to become a protégé of UsefulNotes/CardinalMazarin then King UsefulNotes/LouisXIV, and his name ended up known in the whole kingdom as a result. Heavily influenced by UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}'s ''CommediaDellArte'', his plays are full of slapstick, snark, misunderstandings, and thwarted lovers.

* ReluctantGift: In ''Les Fourberies de Scapin'', Géronte (a rich merchant) is being conned by Scapin into paying a ransom of 500 gold pieces for his son (in fact, the son needs the money for various living expenses). His paternal love finally shining through after much effort, he gives Scapin the purse... but forgets to let go, and even puts it back in his pocket before Scapin reminds him that he still needs the money.

[[AC:Animation:]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Molierissimo}}'' (1989). Voiced by Creator/ClaudeGiraud in French.

[[AC:Film:]]

[[AC:Theatre:]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Molierissimo}}'' (1989). Voiced by Creator/ClaudeGiraud in French.

* ''L'Impromptu du Palais-Royal'', 1962 theatre play by Creator/JeanCocteau.
* ''La Petite Molière'', theatre play by Jean Anouilh and Roland Laudenbach.
* ''Molière'', 1978 French film. Played by Philippe Caubère.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Molierissimo}}'', 1989 French animated series. Voiced by Creator/ClaudeGiraud in French.
* ''Molière'', 2007 French film. Played by Creator/RomainDuris.
* ''Le Molière imaginaire'', 2024 French film. Played by Laurent Lafitte.

He's so big in French culture that the language itself is nicknamed ''"La langue de Molière"''. In many ways, he's a rough French equivalent to Creator/WilliamShakespeare (the aforementioned nickname is also applied to European languages as "la langue de Shakespeare/Cervantes/Dante..." etc.).

* ''Le Molière imaginairee'', 2024 French film. Played by Laurent Lafitte.

He's so big in French culture that the language itself is nicknamed ''"La langue de Molière"''. In many ways, he's a rough French equivalent to Creator/WilliamShakespeare (the aforementioned nickname is also applied to European languages as "la langue de Shakespeare/Cervantes/Dante..." etc.), though his stature isn't quite as towering, since unlike Shakespeare, Molière [[{{Typecasting}} wrote more or less only comedies]], while the Bard wrote comedies, tragedies, histories, romances, "problem plays" and standalone poems.

He's so big in French culture that the language itself is nicknamed ''"La langue de Molière"''. In many ways, he's a rough French equivalent to Creator/WilliamShakespeare (the aforementioned nickname is also applied to European languages as "la langue de Shakespeare/Cervantes/Dante/etc.), though his stature isn't quite as towering, since unlike Shakespeare, Molière [[{{Typecasting}} wrote more or less only comedies]], while the Bard wrote comedies, tragedies, histories, romances, "problem plays" and standalone poems.

* JealousRomanticWitness: ''L'École des femmes'' has a scene where the UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Arnolphe (who keeps his [[TheIngenue naïve sixteen-year-old ward Agnes]] cooped up in his house and forbids her from talking to anyone outside [[OldManMarryingAChild to ensure her faithfulness]]) learns that Agnes has been seen talking to a man and demands that she explain herself. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QTO_iPmjQo She starts giving a blow-by-blow account of how it happened]] (and because of her ditziness, doesn't understand why flirting might be considered bad), not once seeing how tortured by jealousy he is. Arnolphe learned of it in an earlier scene where he runs into Horace (a friend of his son Oronte, and the man Agnes spoke to), who starts going on and on about his love for Agnes, and his disdain for the ridiculous old fart keeping her locked up (Arnolphe recently tried to go by a more aristocratic-sounding name, so Horace doesn't know he's talking to that same old fart). Arnolphe has to grin and bear it until Horace leaves.

He's so big in French culture that the language itself is nicknamed ''"La langue de Molière"''. In many ways, he's a rough French equivalent to Creator/WilliamShakespeare, though his stature isn't quite as towering, since unlike Shakespeare, Molière [[{{Typecasting}} wrote more or less only comedies]], while the Bard wrote comedies, tragedies, histories, romances, "problem plays" and standalone poems.

One of the many children of a French royal tapestry-maker, he tried to follow his father's footsteps and later, to become a lawyer, but his heart wasn't in it, and he ended up writing and directing stage plays, and playing in them. He became renowned enough to become a protégé of UsefulNotes/CardinalMazarin then King UsefulNotes/LouisXIV, and his name ended up known in the whole kingdom as a result. Heavily influenced by UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}'s ''CommediaDellArte'', his plays are full of slapstick, snark, misunderstandings, and thwarted lovers.

One of the many children of a French royal tapestry-maker, he tried to follow his father's footsteps and later, to become a lawyer, but his heart wasn't in it, and he ended up writing and directing stage plays, and playing in them. He became renowned enough to become a protégé of King UsefulNotes/LouisXIV, and his name ended up known in the whole kingdom as a result. Heavily influenced by UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}'s ''CommediaDellArte'', his plays are full of slapstick, snark, misunderstandings, and thwarted lovers.

The most prestigious French theatre awards, the Molière Awards, are named after him.

* CelebrityParadox: In ''Theatre/TheImaginaryInvalid'', which satirizes the medicine of the era, the brother of Argan (the hypochondriac main character) asks him if he would like to see a Molière play. Argan angrily berates Molière for making fun of doctors. Double as SelfDeprecation since in the original plays, Molière himself was taking the first role.
** Early in ''Theatre/TheMisanthrope'' Philinte name-drops ''School For Husbands,'' another Molière play.

** Early in ''The Misanthrope'' Philinte name-drops ''School For Husbands,'' another Molière play.

One of the many children of a French royal tapestry-maker, he tried to follow his father's footsteps and later, to become a lawyer, but his heart wasn't in it, and he ended up writing and directing stage plays, and playing in them. He became renowned enough to become a protégé of King UsefulNotes/LouisXIV, and his name ended up known in the whole kingdom as a result. Heavily influenced by ''CommediaDellArte'', his plays are full of slapstick, snark, misunderstandings, and thwarted lovers.

* ''The Blunderer, or The Mishaps'' (''L'Étourdi, ou Les Contretempss'')

* NiceJobBreakingItHero The Blunderer is MADE of this. The main character keeps defeating the GuileHero's schemes undertaken in his favor.

[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/220px-Molire_-_Nicolas_Mignard_1658_8522.jpg]]

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One of the many children of a French royal tapestry-maker, he tried to follow his father's footsteps and later, to become a lawyer, but his heart wasn't in it, and he ended up writing and directing stage plays, and playing in them. He became renowned enough to become a protégé of King UsefulNotes/LouisXIV. Heavily influenced by ''CommediaDellArte'', his plays are full of slapstick, snark, misunderstandings, and thwarted lovers.

* JealousRomanticWitness: ''Theater/LEcoleDesFemmes'' has a scene where the UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist Arnolphe (who keeps his [[TheIngenue naïve sixteen-year-old ward Agnes]] cooped up in his house and forbids her from talking to anyone outside [[OldManMarryingAChild to ensure her faithfulness]]) learns that Agnes has been seen talking to a man and demands that she explain herself. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QTO_iPmjQo She starts giving a blow-by-blow account of how it happened]] (and because of her ditziness, doesn't understand why flirting might be considered bad), not once seeing how tortured by jealousy he is. Arnolphe learned of it in an earlier scene where he runs into Horace (a friend of his son Oronte, and the man Agnes spoke to), who starts going on and on about his love for Agnes, and his disdain for the ridiculous old fart keeping her locked up (Arnolphe recently tried to go by a more aristocratic-sounding name, so Horace doesn't know he's talking to that same old fart). Arnolphe has to grin and bear it until Horace leaves.