Born in 1622 in Paris, France, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin was the eldest child of Jean Poquelin, an upholsterer who was attached to the royal household as a valet de chambre (gentleman of the bed chamber). Educated at the Jesuit College de Clermont, Jean-Baptiste was later sent to Orleans to complete legal studies; ultimately, he was expected to follow the family trade. In 1642 Jean-Baptiste represented his father in his tour of duty as upholsterer to the king. The following year, he sold his right of succession to the family upholstery business and chose the stage for his livelihood instead, taking the name Molière when he joined an acting company called L’Illustre Theâtre. In time, Molière became head of this troupe, which toured southern France for several years before settling in Lyons in 1653. Molière had his sights on Paris, however; in 1658, with the patronage of the duke d’Orleans, brother of Louis XIV, the company performed Corneille’s tragedy Nicomède before an audience that included the king and his court. While Molière’s performance in the tragedy was not considered especially impressive, the king was charmed by Molière’s farce Le Docteur amoureux (The Lovelorn Doctor), which concluded the entertainment.
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