Molière pour rire et pour pleurer — Season 1, Episode 4: Episode 4
Comedy, Drama, Documentary, Family • 55 min • 1 season, 6 episodes • ★ 9.5/10
Episode synopsis
Molière 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 first three acts of Tartuffe to the King — a fierce portrait of a false devotee — the sovereign decided to have the play performed at Versailles, before the entire Court.
About Molière pour rire et pour pleurer
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.