Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world literature. His extant works include comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed at the Comédie-Française more often than those of any other playwright today. His influence is such that the French language is often referred to as the "language of Molière". January 15, 1622 – February 16, 1673; died at 51. Alive at the same time as Isaac Newton, René Descartes, Rembrandt, Louis XIV of France, and John Locke. Wiki link