Death thumb|Molière's tomb at the Père Lachaise Cemetery. La Fontaine's is visible just beyond. Molière suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, possibly contracted when he was imprisoned for debt as a young man. The circumstances of Molière's death, on 17 February 1673, became legend. He collapsed on stage in a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging while performing in the last play he had written, which had lavish ballets performed to the music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier and which ironically was titled Le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid). Molière insisted on completing his performance. Afterwards he collapsed again with another, larger haemorrhage before being taken home, where he died a few hours later, without receiving the last rites because two priests refused to visit him while a third arrived too late. The superstition that green brings bad luck to actors is said to originate from the colour of the clothing he was wearing at the time of his death.
Death thumb|Molière's tomb at the Père Lachaise Cemetery La Fontaine's is visible just beyond Molière suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis possibly contracted when he was imprisoned for debt as a young man The circumstances of Molière's death on 17 February 1673 became legend He collapsed on stage in a fit of coughing and haemorrhaging while performing in the last play he had written which had lavish ballets performed to the music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier and which ironically was titled Le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid) Molière insisted on completing his performance Afterwards he collapsed again with another larger haemorrhage before being taken home where he died a few hours later without receiving the last rites because two priests refused to visit him while a third arrived too late The superstition that green brings bad luck to actors is said to originate from the colour of the clothing he was wearing at the time of his death