Molière pour rire et pour pleurer
“Where laughter becomes a weapon, and the stage becomes fate.”
Molière pour rire et pour pleurer recounts the life of Jean‑Baptiste Poquelin, from his childhood in an artisan family to his rise as Molière, a central figure of French theatre. The series shows his difficult decision to abandon the family trade and join Madeleine Béjart to found L’Illustre Théâtre, marked by debts and repeated setbacks. While touring the provinces, he shapes his style and discovers the power of comedy. Back in Paris, he makes a name for himself with Les Précieuses ridicules, but his sharp satires provoke fierce opposition, especially during the Tartuffe scandal. Supported by Louis XIV, he continues despite attacks, literary rivalries, and tensions within his troupe, particularly with Armande Béjart. The miniseries also follows his growing exhaustion, his determination to perform at any cost, and his final breath after Le Malade imaginaire, the ultimate symbol of an artist who lived — and died — for the stage.
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This miniseries approaches Molière not as a fixed icon, but as a man immersed in the cultural tensions of his time. It shows how his theatre emerges from direct engagement with reality: observing social environments, exposing hypocrisy, and confronting religious and political power. The narrative highlights the inner workings of a troupe, the material challenges of the profession, and the way Molière turns constraints into creative momentum. Far from the glorified myth, the series reveals a path shaped by compromise, strategy, and resistance. Ultimately, it portrays an author who uses comedy as a tool for social insight, and for whom the stage becomes the space where his freedom is truly at stake.
1.Episode 1
7.008-11-197354 minIn 1642, Jean Poquelin, an ordinary upholsterer to the King, urges his son Jean‑Baptiste to become a lawyer. But Jean‑Baptiste is irresistibly drawn to the theatre — and to the act...
2.Episode 2
7.015-11-197355 minFaced with mounting debts and lukewarm reviews, Molière — newly self‑renamed — agrees to join the troupe of the aging Dufresne. It doesn’t take long before Dufresne entrusts him wi...
3.Episode 3
8.022-11-197355 minMolière triumphs with The Pretentious Ladies, but the farce causes embarrassment. His rivals, judging the satire far too realistic, manage to have Molière’s new theatre demolished....
4.Episode 4
7.029-11-197355 minMolière found an ally in the person of the King. Both men were targeted and weary of the attacks from the “right‑thinking” members of the Catholic Church. So when Molière read the...
5.Episode 5
8.006-12-197354 minMolière moves from disappointment to disappointment. His plays fail to win unanimous praise, Racine — his treacherous friend — enjoys triumphant beginnings, and Armande’s jealousy...
6.Episode 6
8.013-12-197353 minJealous of Molière’s success, Lully tries to discredit him in the eyes of the King. Crushed by debt, the composer dreams of claiming Molière’s author royalties. Meanwhile, Molière...
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