If any of you happen to be around 400 years old, you may remember Moliere first hand, but for the rest of us mortals needing a reminder, the man was a 17th century play write and actor, and is often considered one of the masters of the art, at least in his time. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, to give him his non-stage name, is thought of in France as being one of the greatest writers of theatrical comedy of all time, and, as inconvenient as it was for him, I'm sure his manner of death would have been greatly appreciated by comedy fans everywhere. You see, Moliere was the victim of one of the finest pieces of irony you're likely to hear of. He was starring in the final play he had written when he succumbed to a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging, possibly brought on from tuberculosis. Although just about surviving his onstage breakdown, Moliere refused medical aid, and fell to a second episode moments later, which proved fatal. The irony? The play which brought the curtain down on Moliere was entitled Le Malade Imaginaire, or, The Imaginary Invalid. Essentially, Moliere was playing a hypochondriac when he not only broke down, but also refused medical attention. The legacy left by Moliere's death is so great that to this day, it is thought amongst actors that the colour green is an unlucky one to wear during a performance, as that was the colour of the Frenchman's costume at his demise.
