Madeleine Bejart

Madeleine Béjart was a famous French actress and theatre director of the 17th century. She was born in Paris in 1618, the second child of Joseph Béjart, a royal official, and Marie Hervé, a linen maker. She had a passion for theatre since her childhood and debuted with her elder brother Joseph at the Theatre du Marais in the late 1630s. She also frequented the literary salons of Paris and had a relationship with Esprit de Rémond de Modène, a nobleman and courtier of Gaston d'Orléans, with whom she had a daughter, Françoise, in 1638. Françoise died young and Madeleine had another daughter, Armande, who was officially declared as her sister. In 1643, she co-founded the Illustre Théâtre with Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Molière, who became her lover and artistic partner. They formed a troupe of actors that toured the provinces of France for 12 years, performing tragedies and comedies. Madeleine was praised for her beauty, her versatility, and her intelligence. She could play any role, from tragic heroines to comic characters. She also managed the financial and administrative affairs of the troupe and avoided conflicts among the members. In 1658, the troupe returned to Paris and performed before King Louis XIV at the Louvre. They received the royal patronage and settled at the Petit-Bourbon theatre. Madeleine created some of the main female roles in Molière's plays, such as Magdelon in Les Précieuses ridicules (1659), Elmire in Tartuffe (1664), Philaminte in Les Femmes savantes (1672), and many others. She also acted alongside Molière in other playwrights' works, such as Corneille's Le Menteur (1644) and Racine's Alexandre le Grand (1665). Madeleine remained faithful to Molière even after he married her daughter Armande in 1662. She was his confidante and supporter until his death in 1673. She died a year later, on February 17, 1672, in Paris. She was buried at the Cimetière de Montmartre. She was considered one of the best actresses of her age and a pioneer of French theatre. Her contemporary Georges de Scudéry wrote: "She was beautiful, she was gallant, she was very intelligent, she sang, she danced well, she played all kinds of instruments, she wrote very nicely in verse and prose and her conversation was very entertaining. She was over all one of the best actresses of her age and her acting had so much charm, that it really inspired all the feigned passion of the plays one saw her represent at the Theatre."