Molière began writing his five-act masterpiece,

, in early 1664, but its first performance, in the Palais-Royal Theatre, was not until June 4, 1666. When examining the play’s creation, reception, and literary value, it is impossible to avoid some speculation regarding the conflation of life and text. The genesis of the play has to be understood within the context of the banning of

in 1664, and the censoring of

the following year. By this time in his career, the author had reached the height of popularity and favour at court, but he was to pay dearly for his triumph, which gave rise to multiple coalitions of opposition from rival theatre companies such as the Hôtel de Bourgogne, rival authors such as Pierre and Thomas Corneille, and most notably from…

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Citation: Lalande, Roxanne . "Le Misanthrope". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 February 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4076, accessed 21 November 2024.]