name	Jean-Baptiste Poquelin
pseudonym	Molière
birth date	January 15, 1622
birth place	Paris, France
death date
death place	Paris, France
occupation	Playwright
nationality	French
period	1645-1673
genre	Comedy
notableworks	''Tartuffe''; ''The Misanthrope''; ''The Learned Women''; ''The School for Wives''; ''L'Avare''
spouse	Armande Béjart
partner	Madeleine Béjart }}

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, (; baptised January 15, 1622 – February 17, 1673) was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Among Molière's best-known works are ''Le Misanthrope'' (''The Misanthrope''), ''L'École des femmes'' (''The School for Wives''),'' Tartuffe ou L'Imposteur,'' (''Tartuffe or the Hypocrite''), ''L'Avare'' (''The Miser''), ''Le Malade imaginaire'' (''The Imaginary Invalid''), and ''Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme'' (''The Bourgeois Gentleman'').

Born into a prosperous family and having studied at the Collège de Clermont (now Lycée Louis-le-Grand), Molière was well suited to begin a life in the theatre. Thirteen years as an itinerant actor helped him polish his comic abilities while he began writing, combining Commedia dell'Arte elements with the more refined French comedy.

Through the patronage of a few aristocrats, including Philippe I, Duke of Orléans – the brother of Louis XIV – Molière procured a command performance before the King at the Louvre. Performing a classic play by Pierre Corneille and a farce of his own, ''Le Docteur amoureux'' (''The Doctor in Love''), Molière was granted the use of salle du Petit-Bourbon at the Louvre, a spacious room appointed for theatrical performances. Later, Molière was granted the use of the Palais-Royal. In both locations he found success among the Parisians with plays such as ''Les Précieuses ridicules'' (''The Affected Ladies''), ''L'École des maris'' (''The School for Husbands'') and ''L'École des femmes'' (''The School for Wives''). This royal favor brought a royal pension to his troupe and the title "Troupe du Roi" (The King's Troupe). Molière continued as the official author of court entertainments.

Though he received the adulation of the court and Parisians, Molière's satires attracted criticisms from moralists and the Roman Catholic Church. ''Tartuffe ou L'Imposteur'' (''Tartuffe or the Hypocrite'') and its attack on religious hypocrisy roundly received condemnations from the Church, while ''Dom Juan'' was banned from performance. Molière's hard work in so many theatrical capacities began to take its toll on his health and, by 1667, he was forced to take a break from the stage. In 1673, during a production of his final play, ''Le Malade imaginaire'' (''The Imaginary Invalid''), Molière, who suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, was seized by a coughing fit and a haemorrhage while playing the hypochondriac Argan. He finished the performance but collapsed again and died a few hours later.

Life

Molière was born in Paris, the son of Jean Poquelin and Marie Cressé, the daughter of a prosperous bourgeois family. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin lost his mother at the age of 10 and doesn't seem to have been particularly close to his father. After his mother's death, he lived with his father above the ''Pavillon des singes'' on the rue Saint-Honoré, an affluent area of Paris. It is likely that his education commenced with studies in a Parisian elementary school; this was followed with his enrollment in the prestigious Jesuit Collège de Clermont, where he completed his studies in a strict academic environment.

In 1631, Jean Poquelin purchased from the court of Louis XIII the posts of "valet de chambre ordinaire et tapissier du Roi" ("valet of the King's chamber and keeper of carpets and upholstery"). His son assumed the same posts in 1641. The title required only three months' work and an initial cost of 1,200 livres; the title paid 300 livres a year and provided a number of lucrative contracts. Poquelin also studied as a provincial lawyer some time around 1642, probably in Orléans, but it is not documented that he ever qualified. So far he had followed his father's plans, which had served him well; he had mingled with nobility at the Collège de Clermont and seemed destined for a career in office.

In June 1643, when Molière was 21, he decided to abandon his social class and pursue a career on the stage. Taking leave of his father, he joined the actress Madeleine Béjart, with whom he had crossed paths before, and founded L'Illustre Théâtre with 630 livres. They were later joined by Madeleine's brother and sister.

The new theatre troupe became bankrupt in 1645. Molière had become head of the troupe, due in part, perhaps, to his acting prowess and his legal training. However, the troupe had acquired large debts, mostly for the rent of the theatre (a court for jeu de paume), for which they owed 2000 livres. Historians differ as to whether his father or the lover of a member of his troupe paid his debts; either way, after a 24-hour stint in prison he returned to the acting circuit. It was at this time that he began to use the pseudonym ''Molière'', possibly inspired by a small village of the same name in the Midi near Le Vigan. It was also likely that he changed his name to spare his father the shame of having an actor in the family (actors, although no longer vilified by the state under Louis XIV, were still not allowed to be buried in sacred ground). After his imprisonment, he and Madeleine began a theatrical circuit of the provinces with a new theatre troupe; this life was to last about 12 years, during which he initially played in the company of Charles Dufresne, and subsequently created a company of his own, which had sufficient success and obtained the patronage of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans. Few plays survive from this period. The most noteworthy are ''L'Étourdi, ou le Contretemps'' and ''Le Docteur amoureux''; with these two plays, Molière moved away from the heavy influence of the Italian improvisational Commedia dell'arte, and displayed his talent for mockery. In the course of his travels he met Armand, Prince of Conti, the governor of Languedoc, who became his patron, and named his company after him. This friendship later ended when Conti, having contracted syphilis from a courtesan, attempted to cure himself by reconciling himself with religion. Conti's religious advisor counseled him against maintaining actors and encouraged him to join Molière's enemies in the ''Parti des Dévots'' and the Compagnie de Saint Sacrement.

In Lyon, Mademoiselle Du Parc, known as ''Marquise'', joined the company. Marquise was courted, in vain, by Pierre Corneille and later became the lover of Jean Racine. Racine offered Molière his tragedy ''Théagène et Chariclée'' (one of the first works he wrote after he had abandoned his theology studies), but Molière would not perform it, though he encouraged Racine to pursue his artistic career. It is said that soon thereafter Molière became angry with Racine when he was told that he had secretly presented his tragedy to the company of the Hôtel de Bourgogne as well.

Return to Paris

Molière was forced to reach Paris in stages, staying outside for a few weeks in order to inveigle himself with society gentlemen and allow his reputation to feed in to Paris. Molière reached Paris in 1658 and performed in front of the King at the Louvre (then for rent as a theatre) in Corneille's tragedy ''Nicomède'' and in the farce ''Le Docteur amoureux'' (The Doctor in Love), with some success. He was awarded the title of ''Troupe de Monsieur'' (Monsieur being the honorific for the king's brother Philippe I, Duke of Orléans) and with the help of Monsieur, his company joined a famous Italian Commedia dell'arte company. He became firmly established at their theatre, ''Petit-Bourbon'', where on November 18, 1659, he performed the premiere of ''Les Précieuses ridicules'' (''The Affected Young Ladies'').

''Les Précieuses ridicules'' was the first of Molière's many attempts to satirize certain societal mannerisms and affectations then common in France. It is widely accepted that the plot was based on Samuel Chappuzeau's ''Le Cercle des femmes'' of 1656. He primarily mocks the Académie Française, a group created by Richelieu under a royal patent to establish the rules of the fledgling French theater. The Académie preached unity of time, action, and styles of verse. Molière is often associated with the claim that comedy ''castigat ridendo mores'' or "criticises customs through humour," a phrase in fact coined by his contemporary Jean de Santeuil and sometimes mistaken for a classical Latin proverb.

Height of fame

Despite his own preference for tragedy, which he had tried to further with the Illustre Theatre, Molière became famous for his farces, which were generally in one act and performed after the tragedy. Some of these farces were only partly written, and were played in the style of Commedia dell'arte with improvisation over a canovaccio. He also wrote two comedies in verse, but these were less successful and are generally considered less significant. Later in life Molière concentrated on writing musical comedies, in which the drama is interrupted by songs and/or dances.

''Les précieuses ridicules'' won Molière the attention and the criticism of many, but it was not a popular success. He then asked his Italian partner Tiberio Fiorelli, famous for his character of Scaramouche, to teach him the techniques of Commedia dell'arte. His 1660 play ''Sganarelle, ou Le Cocu imaginaire'' (''The Imaginary Cuckold'') seems to be a tribute both to Commedia dell'arte and to his teacher. Its theme of marital relationships dramatizes Molière's pessimistic views on the falsity inherent in human relationships. This view is also evident in his later works, and was a source of inspiration for many later authors, including (in a different field and with different effect) Luigi Pirandello. It describes a kind of round dance where two couples believe that each of their partners has been betrayed by the other's and is the first in Molière's 'Jealousy series' which includes ''Dom Garcie de Navarre'', ''L'École des maris'' and ''L'École des femmes''.

In 1661, in order to please his patron, Monsieur, who was so enthralled with entertainment and art that he was soon excluded from state affairs, Molière wrote and played ''Dom Garcie de Navarre ou Le Prince jaloux'' (''The Jealous Prince''), a heroic comedy derived from a work of Cicognini's. Two other comedies of the same year were the successful ''L'École des maris'' (''The School for Husbands'') and ''Les Fâcheux'', subtitled ''Comédie faite pour les divertissements du Roi'' (a comedy for the King's amusements) because it was performed during a series of parties that Nicolas Fouquet gave in honor of the sovereign. These entertainments led Jean-Baptiste Colbert to demand the arrest of Fouquet for wasting public money, and he was condemned to life imprisonment.

In 1662 Molière moved to the grander Théâtre du Palais-Royal, still with his Italian partners, and married Armande, whom he believed to be the sister of Madeleine. She may have instead been her illegitimate daughter with the Duke of Modena. The same year he premiered ''L'École des femmes'' (''The School for Wives''), subsequently regarded as a masterpiece. It poked fun at the limited education that was given to daughters of rich families, and reflected Molière's own marriage. Both this work and his marriage attracted much criticism. The play sparked the protest called the "Quarrel of L'École des femmes." On the artistic side he responded with two lesser-known works: ''La Critique de "L'École des femmes"'', in which he imagined the spectators of his previous work attending it. This perhaps needs some explanation: the piece mocks the people who had criticised ''L'École des femmes'' by showing them at dinner after watching the play; it addresses all the criticism raised about the piece by presenting the critics' arguments and then dismissing them. This was the so-called ''Guerre comique'' (''War of Comedy''), in which the opposite side was taken by writers like Donneau de Visé, Edmé Boursault, and Montfleury.

But more serious opposition was brewing, focusing on Molière's politics and his personal life. A so-called ''parti des Dévots'' arose in French high society, who protested against Molière's excessive "realism" and irreverence, which were causing some embarrassment. These people accused Molière of having married his daughter. The Prince of Conti, once Molière's friend, joined them. Molière had other enemies, too, among them the Jansenists and some traditional authors. However, the king expressed his solidarity with the author, granting him a pension and agreeing to be the godfather of Molière's first son. Boileau also supported him through statements that he included in his ''Art poétique''.

Molière's friendship with Jean-Baptiste Lully influenced him towards writing his ''Le Mariage forcé'' and ''La Princesse d'Élide'' (subtitled as ''Comédie galante mêlée de musique et d'entrées de ballet''), written for royal "divertissements" at the Palace of Versailles.

''Tartuffe, ou L'Imposteur'' was also performed at Versailles, in 1664, and created the greatest scandal of Molière's artistic career. Its depiction of the hypocrisy of the dominant classes was taken as an outrage and violently contested. It also aroused the wrath of the Jansenists and the play was banned.

Molière was always careful not to attack the institution of monarchy. He earned a position as one of the king's favorites and enjoyed his protection from the attacks of the court. The king allegedly suggested that Molière suspend performances of ''Tartuffe'', and the author rapidly wrote ''Dom Juan ou le Festin de Pierre'' to replace it. It was a strange work, derived from a work by Tirso de Molina and rendered in a prose that still seems modern today. It describes the story of an atheist who becomes a religious hypocrite and for this is punished by God. This work too was quickly suspended. The king, demonstrating his protection once again, became the new official sponsor of Molière's troupe.

With music by Lully, Molière presented ''L'Amour médecin'' (''Love Doctor'' or ''Medical Love''). Subtitles on this occasion reported that the work was given "par ordre du Roi" (by order of the king), and this work was received much more warmly than its predecessors. In 1666, ''Le Misanthrope'' was produced. It is now widely regarded as Molière's most refined masterpiece, the one with the highest moral content, but it was little appreciated at its time. It caused the "conversion" of Donneau de Visé, who became fond of his theatre. But it was a commercial flop, forcing Molière to immediately write ''Le médecin malgré lui'' (''The Doctor Despite Himself''), a satire against the official sciences. This was a success despite a moral treatise by the Prince of Conti, criticizing the theater in general and Molière's in particular. In several of his plays, Molière depicted the physicians of his day as pompous individuals who speak (poor) Latin to impress others with false erudition, and know only clysters and bleedings as (ineffective) remedies.

After the ''Mélicerte'' and the ''Pastorale comique'', he tried again to perform a revised ''Tartuffe'' in 1667, this time with the name of ''Panulphe'' or ''L'Imposteur''. As soon as the King left Paris for a tour, Lamoignon and the archbishop banned the play. The King finally imposed respect for ''Tartuffe'' a few years later, after he had gained more power over the clergy.

Molière, now ill, wrote less. ''Le Sicilien ou L'Amour peintre'' was written for festivities at the castle of Saint-Germain, and was followed in 1668 by ''Amphitryon'', inspired both by Plautus' work of the same name and Jean Rotrou's successful reconfiguration of the drama. With some conjecture, Molière's play can be seen to allude to the love affairs of Louis XIV, then king of France. ''George Dandin, ou Le mari confondu'' (''The Confounded Husband'') was little appreciated, but success returned with ''L'Avare'' (''The Miser''), now very well known.

With Lully he again used music for ''Monsieur de Pourceaugnac'', for ''Les Amants magnifiques'', and finally for ''Le Bourgeois gentilhomme'' (''The Middle Class Gentleman''), another of his masterpieces. It is claimed to be particularly directed against Colbert, the minister who had condemned his old patron Fouquet. The collaboration with Lully ended with a ''tragédie et ballet'', ''Psyché'', written in collaboration with Pierre Corneille and Philippe Quinault.

In 1672, Madeleine Béjart died, and Molière suffered from this loss and from the worsening of his own illness. Nevertheless, he wrote a successful ''Les Fourberies de Scapin'' (''Scapin's Schemings''), a farce and a comedy in five acts. His following play, ''La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas'', is considered one of his lesser works.

''Les Femmes savantes'' (''The Learned Ladies'') of 1672 is considered one of Molière's masterpieces. It was born from the termination of the legal use of music in theater, since Lully had patented the opera in France (and taken most of the best available singers for his own performances), so Molière had to go back to his traditional genre. It was a great success, and it led to his last work, which is held in high esteem.

In his 14 years in Paris, Molière single-handedly wrote 31 of the 85 plays performed on his stage while simultaneously holding his company together.

Death

Molière suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, possibly contracted when he was imprisoned for debt as a young man. One of the most famous moments in Molière's life was his last, which became legend: he collapsed on stage in a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging while performing in the last play he'd written, which had lavish ballets performed to the music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier and which ironically was entitled ''Le Malade imaginaire'' (''The Hypochondriac''). Molière insisted on completing his performance. Afterwards he collapsed again with another, larger haemorrhage before being taken home, where he died a few hours later, without receiving the last rites because two priests refused to visit him while a third arrived too late. The superstition that green brings bad luck to actors is said to originate from the colour of the clothing he was wearing at the time of his death.

Under French law at the time, actors were not allowed to be buried in the sacred ground of a cemetery. However, Molière's widow, Armande, asked the King if her spouse could be granted a "normal" funeral at night. The King agreed and Molière's body was buried in the part of the cemetery reserved for unbaptised infants.

In 1792 his remains were brought to the museum of French monuments and in 1817 transferred to Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, close to those of La Fontaine.

Reception of his works

Though conventional thinkers, religious leaders, and medical professionals in Molière's time criticized his work, their ideas did not really impact his widespread success with the public. Other playwrights and companies began to emulate his dramatic style in England and in France. Molière's works continued to garner positive feedback in 18th century England, but they were not so warmly welcomed in France at this time. However, during the French Restoration of the 19th century, Molière's comedies became popular with both the French public and the critics. Romanticists admired his plays for the unconventional individualism they portrayed. 20th century scholars have carried on this interest in Molière and his plays and have continued to study a wide array of issues relating to this playwright. Many critics now are shifting their attention from the philosophical, religious, and moral implications in his comedies to the more objective study of his comic technique.

Molière's works were translated into English prose by John Ozell in 1714, but the first complete version in English, by Baker and Miller in 1739, remained "influential" and was long reprinted. The first to offer full translations of Molière's verse plays such as ''Tartuffe'' into English verse was Curtis Hidden Page, who produced blank verse versions of three of the plays in his 1908 translation. Since then, notable translations have been made by Richard Wilbur, Donald M. Frame, and many others.

In his memoir ''A Terrible Liar,'' actor Hume Cronyn writes that, in 1962, celebrated actor Laurence Olivier criticized Molière in a conversation with him. According to Cronyn, he mentioned to Olivier that he (Cronyn) was about to play the title role in ''The Miser,'' and that Olivier then responded, "Molière? Funny as a baby's open grave." Cronyn comments on the incident: "You may imagine how that made me feel. Fortunately, he was dead wrong."

Author Martha Bellinger points out that Molière "has been accused of not having a consistent, organic style, of using faulty grammar, of mixing his metaphors, and of using unnecessary words for the purpose of filling out his lines. All these things are occasionally true, but they are trifles in comparison to the wealth of character he portrayed, to his brilliancy of wit, and to the resourcefulness of his technique. He was wary of sensibility or pathos; but in place of pathos he had "melancholy -- a puissant and searching melancholy, which strangely sustains his inexhaustible mirth and his triumphant gaiety"

Influence on French culture

Molière is considered the creator of modern French comedy. Many words or phrases used in Molière's plays are still used in current French:

A ''tartuffe'' is a hypocrite, especially a hypocrite displaying affected morality or religious piety.

A ''harpagon'', named after the main character of ''The Miser'', is an obsessively greedy and cheap man.

The statue of the Commander (''statue du Commandeur'') from Don Juan is used as a model of implacable rigidity (''raide comme la statue du Commandeur'').

In ''Les Fourberies de Scapin'', Act II, scene 7, Géronte is asked for ransom money for his son, allegedly held in a galley. He repeats, "What the devil was he going to do in that galley?" ("Que diable allait-il faire dans cette galère?") The word ''galère'' ("galley") is used in French nowadays to mean "a cumbersome, painful affair".

In ''Le Bourgeois gentilhomme'', the title character, M. Jourdain, composes a love note as follows: "Beautiful marchioness, your beautiful eyes make me die from love" ("''Belle marquise, vos beaux yeux me font mourir d'amour''"). He then asks his philosophy teacher to rephrase the sentence which he does by shuffling the words in nearly every single way ("Beautiful marchioness, from love", etc.). M. Jourdain then asks which phrasing is best and the teacher promptly replies that the first is best. The phrase "Belle marquise..." is now used to indicate that two different sentences mean the same thing.

Portrayals of Molière

Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov wrote a semi-fictitious biography-tribute to Molière, titled "Life of Mr. de Molière". Written 1932-1933, first published 1962.

In the 2000 film ''Le Roi Danse'' (''The King Dances''), Molière is played by Tchéky Karyo, and shows his collaborations with Jean-Baptiste Lully, as well as his illness and on-stage death.

The French 1978 film titled ''Molière'' directed by Ariane Mnouchkine, presents his complete biography. It was in competition for the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1978.

The 2007 French film ''Molière'' was more loosely based on the life of Molière, starring Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini and Ludivine Sagnier.

List of major works

''Le Médecin volant'' (1645) -- The Flying Doctor

''La Jalousie du barbouillé'' (1650)

''L'Étourdi ou Les Contretemps'' (1655) -- The Blunderer

''Le Dépit amoureux'' (December 16, 1656)

''Le Docteur amoureux'' (1658), the first play performed by Molière's troupe for Louis XIV (now lost) -- The Doctor in Love

''Les Précieuses ridicules'' (November 18, 1659) -- The Affected Young Ladies

''Sganarelle ou Le Cocu imaginaire'' (May 28, 1660) -- Sganarelle, or the Imaginary Cuckold

''Dom Garcie de Navarre ou Le Prince jaloux'' (February 4, 1661) -- Don Garcia of Navarre or the Jealous Prince

''L'École des maris'' (June 24, 1661) -- The School for Husbands

''Les Fâcheux'' (August 17, 1661) -- The Mad

''L'École des femmes'' (December 26, 1662) (Adapted into ''The Amorous Flea'' in 1964) -- The School for Wives

''La Jalousie du Gros-René'' (April 15, 1663) (presumably the same as "La Jalousie du Barbouillé")

''La Critique de l'école des femmes'' (June 1, 1663) -- Critique of the School for Wives

''L'Impromptu de Versailles'' (October 14, 1663)

''Le Mariage forcé'' (January 29, 1664) -- The Forced Marriage

''Gros-René, petit enfant '' (April 27, 1664) (now lost)

''La Princesse d'Élide'' (May 8, 1664) -- The Princess of Elid

''Tartuffe ou L'Imposteur'' (May 12, 1664) -- Tartuffe, or The Imposter (or Hypocrite)

''Dom Juan ou Le Festin de pierre'' (February 15, 1665)

''L'Amour médecin'' (September 15, 1665) -- Love Is the Doctor

''Le Misanthrope ou L'Atrabilaire amoureux'' (June 4, 1666) -- The Misanthrope

''Le Médecin malgré lui'' (August 6, 1666) -- The Doctor in Spite of Himself

''Mélicerte'' (December 2, 1666)

''Pastorale comique'' (January 5, 1667)

''Le Sicilien ou L'Amour peintre'' (February 14, 1667) -- The Sicilian, or Love the Painter

''Amphitryon'' (January 13, 1668)

''George Dandin ou Le Mari confondu'' (July 18, 1668) -- George Dandin, or the Abashed Husband

''L'Avare ou L'École du mensonge'' (September 9, 1668) -- The Miser

''Monsieur de Pourceaugnac'' (October 6, 1669)

''Les Amants magnifiques'' (February 4, 1670) -- The magnificent lovers

''Le Bourgeois gentilhomme'' (October 14, 1670) -- The Bourgeois Gentleman

''Psyché'' (January 17, 1671) -- Psyche

''Les Fourberies de Scapin'' (May 24, 1671)

''La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas'' (December 2, 1671)

''Les Femmes savantes'' (March 11, 1672) -- The Learned Ladies

''Le Malade imaginaire'' (February 10, 1673) -- The Imaginary Invalid (or The Hypochondriac)

Notes

References

Dormandy, Thomas. "The white death: a history of tuberculosis", New York University Press, 2000, p. 10

Hartnoll, Phyllis (ed.). ''The Oxford Companion to the Theatre'', 1983, Oxford University Press

Roy, Donald. "Molière." in Banham, Martin (ed.) ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'', 1995, Cambridge University Press

Scott, Virginia. ''Molière, A Theatrical Life'', 2000, Cambridge University Press

Riggs, Larry. ''Molière and Modernity'', Charlottesville: Rookwood Press 2005

Patricia M. Ranum, ''Portraits around Marc-Antoine Charpentier'' (Baltimore, 2004), "Molière," pp. 141–49

Claude Alberge, ''Voyage de Molière en Languedoc (1647-1657)'' (Presses du Languedoc, 1988)

External links

Molière's works online at toutmoliere.net (in French)

Molière's works online at site-moliere.com

Molière's works online at InLibroVeritas.net

Molière's works online at classicistranieri.com

Biography, Bibliography, Analysis, Plot overview at biblioweb.org (in French)

Moliere's Verses Plays Publication, Statistics, Words Research (in French)

Category:1622 births Category:1673 deaths Category:Actors from Paris Category:French dramatists and playwrights Category:French poets Category:French actors Category:French satirists Category:Lycée Louis-le-Grand alumni Category:Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Category:17th-century actors Category:17th-century French writers Category:Deaths onstage Category:Pseudonymous writers

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name	Mikhail Bulgakov
birth date
birth place	Kiev, Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine)
death date	March 10, 1940
death place	Moscow, USSR (present-day Russian Federation)
occupation	novelist & playwright
ethnicity	Russian
nationality	Russian
spouse	Tatiana Lappa 1913-1924 (divorce)Lubov Belozerskaya 1924-1932 (divorce)Elena Shilovskaya 1932-1940 (his death)
genre	Fantastic, Satire }}

Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov (, , Kiev – March 10, 1940, Moscow) was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel ''The Master and Margarita'', which ''The Times'' of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.

Biography

Mikhail Bulgakov was born on May 15, 1891 in Kiev, at that time in the Russian Empire. He was the eldest son of Afanasiy Bulgakov, an assistant professor at the Kiev Theological Academy, and a former teacher Varvara Mikhailovna. Both of his grandfathers were clergymen in the Russian Orthodox Church. From 1901 to 1904 Bulgakov attended the First Kiev Gymnasium, where he developed an interest in Russian and European literature, theatre and opera.

In 1913 Bulgakov married Tatiana Lappa. At the outbreak of the First World War he volunteered with the Red Cross as a medical doctor and was sent directly to the frontline, where he was badly injured at least twice. In 1916, he graduated from the Medical Department of Kiev University and then served in the White Army alongside his brothers. He also briefly served in the Ukrainian People's Army.

After the Civil War and rise of the Soviets, much of his family emigrated to Paris (in exile). Mikhail and his brothers ended up in the Caucasus. He first began to work as a journalist there, but when they were invited to return as doctors by the French and German governments, Bulgakov was refused permission to leave Russia because of typhus. This was when he last saw his family.

Bulgakov suffered from his long-acting war wounds, which had a bad effect on his health. To suppress chronic pain, especially in the abdomen, he injected himself with morphine. Throughout the following year his addiction grew stronger. In one year (in 1918) he finished injecting himself with morphine and never used it in the future. His book, entitled ''Morphine'' and released in 1926, provided an account of the writer's state during these years.

Though his first fiction efforts were made in Kiev, he only decided to leave medicine to pursue his love of literature in 1919. His first book was an almanac of feuilletons called ''Future Perspectives'', written and published the same year. In 1921, Bulgakov moved to Moscow where he began his career as a writer. They settled near Patriarch's Ponds, close to Mayakovskaya metro station on the Sadovaya street, 10. Four years later (in 1925), divorced from his first wife, he married Lyubov' Belozerskaya. He published a number of works through the early and mid 1920s, but by 1927 his career began to suffer from criticism that he was too anti-Soviet. By 1929 his career was ruined, and government censorship prevented publication of any of his work and staging of any of his plays.

In 1932, Bulgakov married for the third time, to Yelena Shilovskaya, who would prove to be inspiration for the character Margarita in his most famous novel. During the last decade of his life, Bulgakov continued to work on ''The Master and Margarita'', wrote plays, critical works, stories, and made several translations and dramatisations of novels, librettos. Many of them were not published, other ones were "torn to pieces" by critics.

Bulgakov wrote the play "Batum" glorifying Stalin's early revolutionary activity, but the play was banned by Stalin. However, Stalin had enjoyed another of Bulgakov's plays, ''The Days of the Turbins'' (1926), which Stalin saw at least fifteen times. Stalin protected Bulgakov when his work came under heavy critisism from one of Moscow's theatre directors, stating that a writer of Bulgakov's quality was above 'party words' like 'left' and 'right'. Stalin found work for him at a small Moscow theatre, and then the Moscow Art Theatre. Much of his work (ridiculing the Soviet system) stayed in his desk drawer for several decades. In 1930 he wrote a letter to the Soviet government, requesting permission to emigrate if the Soviet Union could not find use for him as a writer. In Bulgakov's autobiography, he claimed that he wrote to Stalin out of desperation and mental anguish, never intending to post the letter. He received a phone call directly from Joseph Stalin asking the writer whether he really desired to leave the Soviet Union. Bulgakov replied that a Russian writer cannot live outside of his homeland.

The refusal of the authorities to let him work in the theatre and his desire to see his family living abroad, whom he had not seen for many years, led him to seek drastic measures. Despite his new work, the projects he worked on at the theatre were often prohibited and he was stressed and unhappy. He also worked briefly at the Bolshoi Theatre as a librettist but left when his works were not produced.

Bulgakov died from nephrosclerosis (an inherited kidney disorder) on March 10, 1940. He was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. His father had died of the same disease, and from his youth Bulgakov guessed his future mortal diagnosis.

Early works

During his life, Bulgakov was best known for the plays he contributed to Konstantin Stanislavsky's and Nemirovich-Danchenko's Moscow Art Theatre. Stalin was known to be fond of the play ''Days of the Turbins'' (Дни Турбиных) (1926), which was based on Bulgakov's novel ''The White Guard''. His dramatization of Molière's life in ''The Cabal of Hypocrites'' (Кабала святош)(1936) is still performed by the Moscow Art Theatre. Even after his plays were banned from the theatres, Bulgakov wrote a comedy about Ivan the Terrible's visit into 1930s Moscow and the play "Batum" about the early years of Stalin (1939), which was prohibited by Stalin himself.

Bulgakov began writing prose with ''The White Guard'' (Белая гвардия) (1924, partly published in 1925, first full edition 1927–1929, Paris) – a novel about a life of a White Army officer's family in civil war Kiev. In the mid-1920s, he came to admire the works of H. G. Wells and wrote several stories with elements of science fiction, notably ''The Fatal Eggs'' (Роковые яйца) (1924) and ''Heart of a Dog'' (Собачье сердце) (1925). He intended to compile his stories of the mid-twenties (published mostly in medical journals) that were based on his work as a country doctor in 1916–1918 into a collection titled ''Notes of a Young Doctor'' (Записки юного врача), but he died before he could publish it.

''The Fatal Eggs'' tells of the events of a Professor Persikov, who, in experimentation with eggs, discovers a red ray that accelerates growth in living organisms. At the time, an illness passes through the chickens of Moscow, killing most of them and, to remedy the situation, the Soviet government puts the ray into use at a farm. Unfortunately, there is a mix up in egg shipments and the Professor ends up with chicken eggs, while the government-run farm receives the shipment of ostrich, snake and crocodile eggs that were meant to go to the Professor. The mistake is not discovered until the eggs produce giant monstrosities that wreak havoc in the suburbs of Moscow and kill most of the workers on the farm. The propaganda machine then turns on Persikov, distorting his nature in the same way his "innocent" tampering created the monsters. This tale of a bungling government earned Bulgakov his label of a counter-revolutionary.

''Heart of a Dog'' features a professor who implants human testicles and pituitary gland into a dog named Sharik (means "Little Balloon" or "Little Ball" - popular Russian nickname for a male dog). The dog then proceeds to become more and more human as time passes, resulting in all manner of chaos. The tale can be read as a critical satire of the Soviet Union; it contains few bold hints to communist leadership (e.g. the name of the drunkard donor of the human organ implants is Chugunkin ("chugun" is cast iron) which can be seen as parody on the name of Stalin ("stal'" is steel). It was turned into a comic opera called ''The Murder of Comrade Sharik'' by William Bergsma in 1973. In 1988 an award-winning movie version ''Sobachye Serdtse'' was produced by Lenfilm, starring Yevgeniy Yevstigneyev, Roman Kartsev and Vladimir Tolokonnikov.

''The Master and Margarita''

''The Master and Margarita'' (Мастер и Маргарита), which Bulgakov began writing in 1928 and which was finally published by his widow in 1966, twenty-six years after his death, led to an international appreciation of his work. The book contributed a number of sayings to the Russian language, for example, "Manuscripts don't burn" and "second-grade freshness". A destroyed manuscript of the Master is an important element of the plot, and, in fact, Bulgakov had to rewrite the novel from memory after he burned the draft manuscript of this novel.

The novel is a critique of Soviet society and its literary establishment. The work is appreciated for its philosophical undertones and for its high artistic level thanks to its picturesque descriptions (especially of old Jerusalem), lyrical fragments and style. It is a frame narrative involving two characteristically related time periods and/or plot lines: a retelling of the gospels and a description of contemporary Moscow.

The novel begins with Satan visiting Moscow in the 1930s, joining a conversation between a critic and a poet debating the existence of Jesus Christ and the Devil. It then evolves into an all-embracing indictment of the corruption, greed, narrow-mindedness, and widespread paranoia of Soviet Russia. Published more than 25 years after Bulgakov's death, and more than ten years after Stalin's, the novel firmly secured Bulgakov's place among the pantheon of great Russian writers.

There is a story-within-the-story dealing with the interrogation of Jesus Christ by Pontius Pilate and the Crucifixion.

Museums

Bulgakov Museum in Moscow

Bulgakov's old flat, and the attic of the apartment building, in which parts of ''The Master and Margarita'' are set, has since the 1980s become a gathering spot for Bulgakov's fans, as well as Moscow-based Satanist groups, and had various kinds of graffiti scrawled on the walls. The numerous paintings, quips, and drawings were completely whitewashed in 2003. Previously the best drawings were kept as the walls were repainted, so that several layers of different colored paints could be seen around the best drawings. Although quite old,the building stayed viable for a while.

Since 2007 the flat is the Bulgakov museum in Moscow. It contains personal belongings, photos, and exhibitions related to Bulgakov's life and his different works. Various poetic and literary events are often being held in the flat. The museum's web site is available in Russian and English.

Mikhail Bulgakov Museum

thumb The Mikhail Bulgakov Museum (Bulgakov House) in Kiev, (in his family home, which was the model for the house of the Turbin family in ''The White Guard'') has been converted to a literary museum with some rooms devoted to the writer, as well as some to his works.

One Street Museum Museum

thumb|left|One Street Museum Mikhail Bulgakov is the most outstanding name related to Andrew’s Descent. Before he was known as a writer he was a doctor specializing in treatment of venereal diseases. He lived in house №13 and practiced here. Among the items presented on the One Street Museum's display are original photos of Mikhail Bulgakov, books and his personal belongings. Museum also presents materials, related to the circle of professors of Kiev Theological Academy, who used to live here at the turn of 20th century and were friends and colleagues of Bulgakov's father.

Legacy

A minor planet 3469 Bulgakov discovered by Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Georgievna Karachkina in 1982 is named after him.

The award-winning British writer Salman Rushdie stated that ''The Master and Margarita'' was an inspiration for his own novel ''The Satanic Verses''.

On May 15, 2011, A Google Doodle in Russia was dedicated to him to celebrate his 120th birthday.

Famous quotes

The following quotes from ''The Master and Margarita'' have become catchphrases in Russia:

"Manuscripts don't burn" ("Рукописи не горят")

"There's only one degree of freshness — the first, which makes it also the last" ("Свежесть бывает только одна – первая, она же и последняя")

"Not causing trouble, not bothering anyone, fixing the primus" ("Не шалю, никого не трогаю, починяю примус") - (a "primus" is a brand, and by extension type, of portable stove)

"No ID, no person" ("Нет документа - нет и человека")

"Never ask for anything" ("Никогда и ничего не просите")

"To speak truth is easy and pleasant" ("Правду говорить легко и приятно")

The following quotes from ''Heart of a Dog'' have become catchphrases in Russia:

"Never read Soviet newspapers before dinner" ("Не читайте до обеда советских газет")

"Take everything and divide it up" ("Взять все, да и поделить")

Bibliography

:''In chronological order by year of first translation:''

Novels and short stories

''The White Guard'' (1926, translation 2008)

''Great Soviet Short Stories'' (1962)

''The Master and Margarita'' (1967)

''Black Snow: A Theatrical Novel'' (1967)

''Heart of a Dog'' (1968)

''A Country Doctor's Notebook'' (1975)

''Diaboliad and Other Stories'' (1990)

''The Terrible News: Russian Stories from the Years Following the Revolution'' (1990)

''Notes on the Cuff & Other Stories''(1991)

''The Fatal Eggs and Other Soviet Satire, 1918-1963'' (1993)

''A Dead Man's Memoir (A Theatrical Novel)'' (2007)

Theater

''The Early Plays of Mikhail Bulgakov'', 1990

''Peace plays: two'', 1990

''Zoya's apartment: A tragic farce in three acts'', 1991

''Six plays'', 1991

Biography

''Life of Mr. de Molière'', 1962

References

External links

Full English text of The Master and Margarita Full English text of The Heart of a Dog Full English text of The Fatal Eggs Full English translation of "Future Prospects" and "In the Café" Bulgakov museum in Moscow Bulgakov's biography at SovLit.com Bulgakov's former residence in Moscow (360 Panorama) Master and Margarita Amateur but very high-quality site, devoted solely to Bulgakov's Master and Margarita (in Dutch, French, English and Russian) Bulgakov's Master and Margarita God, Evil and the Savior A paper on the 'Hermeneutics and the Reconstruction of a Character In Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita'

http://www.marguo.com A French website about The Master and Margarita

Bulgakov museum in Moscow. The Odd Flat Cultural Center,Museum,Theatre "Bulgakov house" in Moscow. Diary of Cultural Center "Bulgakov house" in Moscow. Diary of Bulgakov museum in Moscow Bulgakov museum in Russian Wikipedia Theatre "Bu..." in "Bulgakov House"(Bulgakov Heroes in Moscow). Bulgakov.ru — amateur but very high-quality site, devoted solely to Bulgakov and his works (in Russian)

Mikhail Bulgakov (in German, English and Russian) Bulgakov Project at km.ru Klassika Bulgakov - Russian and English texts online. Mikhail Bulgakov in the Western World: A Bibliography, Library of Congress, European Reading Room

Category:1891 births Category:1940 deaths Category:Russian novelists Category:Russian satirists Category:Russian dramatists and playwrights Category:Russian Orthodox Christians Category:People from Kiev Category:Magic realism writers Category:Russian physicians Category:People of the Russian Civil War Category:Soviet novelists Category:Soviet short story writers Category:Soviet dramatists and playwrights Category:Deaths from nephritis Category:Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery Category:Ukrainian people of Russian descent Category:Moscow Art Theater Category:White Russians

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