Molière's comedy Tartuffe premiered in 1664, immediately sparking controversy for its satire of religious hypocrisy. Despite initial bans, the play eventually succeeded and became a masterpiece of French classical theater, demonstrating comedy's power to critique social and religious pretensions while entertaining aristocratic audiences at Louis XIV's court.

Tartuffe's success established satirical comedy as legitimate high art, influencing English restoration comedy and later satirical poetry. Molière's verse comedy demonstrated how rhymed couplets could achieve both wit and dramatic naturalness, while his social criticism inspired poets like Pope and Swift to employ similar ironic techniques in verse satire.