In 2022 we are celebrating 400 years of Molière's birth. This playwright had such a strong impact on French literature that it is common to say "la langue de Molière" as a synonym for the French language.

But Molière's influence is felt on more than just the language. He opened our eyes to all sorts of injustices that French people are still prickly about.

Have you ever watched a Molière play? How do you think he compares with Shakespeare? Annie went to the Comédie Française recently to watch Le Malade Imaginaire, and what it treat that was!

Annie's new VoiceMap tour of the Latin Quarter is now available, at long last. In this episode you'll also learn how to get the newest version of her Île de la Cité tour if you've bought it already (51 minutes into the episode).

Click play and let's celebrate Molière together! #joinusinfrance #travel #podcast #moliere

Table of Contents for this Episode

• [00:00:38] Attending a Molière play at La Comédie Française
• [00:03:31] Annie’s new Latin Quarter VoiceMap tour
• [00:04:48] Annie and Elyse talk about Molière
• [00:05:15] French is often referred to as “la langue de Molière”
• [00:05:42] About the life of Molière
• [00:06:25] Molière was born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
• [00:07:28] A supportive family
• [00:08:15] Molière makes his start as an actor
• [00:09:57] Working in Paris and Normandy
• [00:11:10] The troup leaves Paris
• [00:11:42] Looking for a Mécène or Patron
• [00:12:07] Working outside of Paris for 12 years
• [00:14:17] Molière starts to write farces
• [00:14:59] Molière heads back to Paris
• [00:15:43] Molière wins Louis XIV over
• [00:17:24] Molière performing his duties as the King’s valet
• [00:19:07] Molière gets his own theater, now called La Comédie Française
• [00:20:02] Molière had a genius for putting on biting satire
• [00:21:03] Molière was a secular man
• [00:21:19] Molière wrote 35 plays
• [00:21:40] Falling ill while performing The Imaginary Invalid
• [00:22:36] Molière and the religious burial
• [00:23:52] Molière’s legacy
• [00:24:46] Molière plays Annie read in French school
• [00:25:22] Sacrilege! Annie doesn’t think Shakespeare is funny whereas Molière is!
• [00:26:48] Molière’s French is still easily understandable today
• [00:27:49] Molière was a great performer and so was his wife
• [00:28:46] Did Molière wrote all his plays or did he get help from Corneille?
• [00:30:45] Molière’s comedy-ballet
• [00:31:01] Molière working with Lully and Charpentier
• [00:32:26] Molière wrote several plays about hypocritical doctors and priests
• [00:33:39] Molière wrote wonderful roles for women
• [00:34:34] The Tartuffe complications
• [00:38:45] French people don’t trust anyone who wears their religion on their sleeve
• [00:41:36] Cachez ce sein que je ne saurais voir !
• [00:42:53] The delicate dance French people do with religion
• [00:44:19] Molière plays are much easier to understand than Shakespeare’s plays
• [00:45:09] Molière: father of modern theater
• [00:48:58] Thank you patrons and donors!
• [00:50:38] How to get an itinerary consultation with Annie
• [00:51:22] How to get the new version of my Île de la Cité tour
• [00:52:56] Covid News
• [00:53:48] Check your airline checkin document carefully for rules
• [00:55:54] Covid numbers are falling rapidly in France
• [00:56:20] About Russia invading Ukraine
• [00:58:51] Emmanuel Macron is officially running for relection
• [00:59:44] Annie’s personal update
• [01:00:01] The new VoiceMap tour of the Latin Quarter is live
• [01:00:31] Next week on the podcast: changes in visa procedures

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Category: French Culture