Background

They were children of Marie Hérve and Joseph Béjart (died 1643), the holder of a small
government post. There were 11 children in the family which was very poor and lived in the Marais

Le Marais

Le Marais is a historic district in Paris, France. Long the aristocratic district of Paris, it hosts many outstanding buildings of historic and architectural importance...

, then the theatrical quarter of Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

. Four of the children became notable in the acting profession, of them, two sisters were more famous.

Madeleine Béjart

Madeleine (1618––1672) was at the head of the travelling company to which her sister Geneviève (1631–1675) – who played as Mlle Hervé – and her brothers belonged, before they joined Molière in forming l'Illustre Théâtre (1643). She remained with Molière until her death on February 17, 1672.

Madeleine had an illegitimate daughter (1638) by an Italian count, and her conduct on her early travels had not been exemplary, but whatever her private relations with Molière may have been, however acrimonious and violent her temper, she and her family remained faithful to his fortunes. She was a tall, handsome blonde, and an excellent actress, particularly in soubrette

Soubrette

A soubrette is a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".-Theater:...

 parts, a number of which Molière wrote for her. Among her creations were Marotte in Les Précieuses ridicules

Les Précieuses ridicules

Les Précieuses ridicules is a one-act satire by Molière in prose. It takes aim at the précieuses, the ultra-witty ladies who indulged in lively conversations, word games and, in a word, préciosité ....

, Lisette in L'École des maris, Dorine in Tartuffe

Tartuffe

Tartuffe is a comedy by Molière. It is one of his most famous plays.-History:Molière wrote Tartuffe in 1664...

.

Armande Grésinde Claire Elizabeth Béjart

Madeleine's sister, Armande (1645–1700) married Molière. She seems to have first joined the company at Lyons in 1653. Molière directed her education and she grew up under his eye. In 1662,they married, he being then 40 and she 17. Neither was happy; the wife was a flirt, the husband jealous. On the strength of a scurrilous anonymous pamphlet, La Fameuse Comédienne, ou histoire de la Guérin (1688), her character was held perhaps unduly low. She was certainly guilty of indifference and ingratitude, possibly of infidelity; they separated after the birth of a daughter in 1665 and met only at the theatre until 1671. But Molière too could not resist the charm and grace which fascinated others, and they were reconciled.

Her portrait is given in a well-known scene (Act iii., sc. 9) in Le Bourgeois gentilhomme

Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme

Le Bourgeois gentilhomme is a five-act comédie-ballet—a play intermingled with music, dance and singing—by Molière, first presented on 14 October 1670 before the court of Louis XIV at the Château of Chambord by Molière's troupe of actors...

. Mme Molière's first appearance on the stage was in 1663, as Élise in the Critique de l'école des femmes. She was out of the cast for a short time in 1664, when she bore Molière a son, with Louis XIV and Henrietta of England standing sponsors to the child.

In the spring, beginning with the fêtes at Versailles

Versailles

Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...

 given by the king to Anne of Austria

Anne of Austria

Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...

 and Maria Theresa of Spain

Maria Theresa of Spain

Maria Theresa of Austria was the daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain and Elizabeth of France. Maria Theresa was Queen of France as wife of King Louis XIV and mother of the Grand Dauphin, an ancestor of the last four Bourbon kings of France.-Early life:Born as Infanta María Teresa of Spain at the...

, she started her long list of important roles. She was at her best as Celimène – really her own highly-finished portrait – in Le Misanthrope

Le Misanthrope

The Misanthrope is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by the King's Players....

, and just as admirable as Angélique in Le Malade imaginaire

Le Malade imaginaire

The Imaginary Invalid is a three-act comédie-ballet by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed in 1673 and was the last work he wrote. In an ironic twist of fate, Molière collapsed during his fourth performance as Argan on 17 February and died soon after...

. She was the Elmire at the first performance
of Tartuffe

Tartuffe

Tartuffe is a comedy by Molière. It is one of his most famous plays.-History:Molière wrote Tartuffe in 1664...

, and the Lucile of Le Bourgeois gentilhomme.

All these parts were written by her husband to display her talents to the best advantage and she made the most of her opportunities. The death of Molière, the secession of Baron and several other
actors, the rivalry of the Hôtel de Bourgogne

Hôtel de Bourgogne

Until the 16th century, the Hôtel de Bourgogne was the name of the Paris residence of the Dukes of Burgundy. Today, the last vestige is the Tour Jean sans Peur, 20 rue Étienne Marcel, in the 2nd arrondissement.-Theatre:...

 and the development of the Palais Royal

Palais Royal

The Palais-Royal, originally called the Palais-Cardinal, is a palace and an associated garden located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris...

, by royal patent, into the home of French opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

, brought matters to a crisis with the comédiens du roi. Well advised by La Grange

La Grange (actor)

La Grange , whose real name was Charles Varlet, was a French actor and a member of the troupe of Molière.-Early life:Charles Varlet was the son of Hector Varlet and Marie de La Grange...

 (Charles Varlet, 1639–1692), Armande leased the Théâtre Guénégaud, and by royal ordinance the residue of her company were combined with the players from the Théâtre du Marais

Théâtre du Marais

The Théâtre du Marais has been the name of several theatres and theatrical troupes in Paris, France. The original and most famous theatre of the name operated in the 17th century. The name was briefly revived for a revolutionary theatre in 1791, and revived again in 1976...

, the fortunes of which were at low ebb.

The combination, known as the troupe du roi, at first was unfortunate, but in 1679 they secured Mlle du Champmeslé, later absorbed the company of the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and in 1680
the Comédie Française was born. In 1677 Mme Molière had married the actor Eustache François Guérin (1636–1728), and had one son (1678–1708) by him. She continued her successes at the theatre until she retired in 1694. She died six years later, on November 30, 1700.

Joseph Béjart

Their brothers included Joseph Béjart (c. 1617–1659), a strolling player and later a member of Molière

Molière

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...

's first company (l'Illustre Théatre), accompanying him in his theatrical wanderings, and was with him when he returned permanently to Paris, dying soon after. He created the parts of Lélie in L'Étourdie, and Eraste in Le Dépit amoureux.

Louis Béjart

Joseph's brother Louis(c. 1630–1678) was also in Molière's company during the last years of touring. He created many parts in his brother-in-law's plays – Valère in Le Dépit amoureux, Dubois in Le Misanthrope

Le Misanthrope

The Misanthrope is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by the King's Players....

, Alcantor in Le Mariage forcé, and Don Luis in Le Festin de Pierre – and was an actor of varied talents. As a result of a wound received when interfering in a street brawl, he became lame and retired in 1670 with a pension – the first ever granted by the company to a comedian.