Fontaine Molière on Rue Molière in Paris

during the fourth performance of Molière’s comédie-ballet The Imaginary Invalid ( Le malade imaginaire) on February 17th, 1673, something unexpected happens to the playwright Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (better known by his stage name Molière) who also plays the title role of the severe hypochondriac Argan?

Molière collapses on the stage in a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging.

He insists though on completing his performance. But then he collapses again with another, even larger haemorrhage before being taken home, where he dies a few hours later.

The play had premiered one week before.