Yet, Molière (January 15, 1622 - February 17, 1673) or Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, which is his real name, is distinguished as Comédie-Française’s most popular and cherished playwright. In fact, he is named one of the greatest masters of comedy of the Western literature. In France at his time, his name was immediately associated with the Comédie-Française theatre. French actors considered him a patron. Among his masterpieces are 'Le Misanthrope', (The Misanthrope), 'L'École des femmes' (The School for Wives), 'Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur', (Tartuffe or the Hypocrite), 'L'Avare ou l'École du mensonge' (The Miser, and 'Le Bourgeois gentilhomme' (The Bourgeois Gentleman). Unfortunately, he died seven years before the birth of La Maison de Molière in 1680, as the Comédie-Française is often styled.

One Century later, during the French revolution, Comédie-Française went through some dramatic changes. On September 3, 1793 it was closed by order of the Committee of Public Safety, and the actors were imprisoned. Six years later, on May 31, 1799, the new government made the Salle Richelieu available and allowed the actors to reconstitute the troupe. Salle Richelieu, which was constructed by the architect Victor Louis, was intially intended by the duke of Chartres to be an opera. In the 19th Century, under the leadership of Baron Taylor a new genre was imposed: Romantic drama. It reached its climax with the battle of Hernani, on February 25, 1830, while acting, staging and set design kept evolving. However, towards the mid-19th Century, classical tragedy was back in fashion.

In 1849, Prince-President Louis-Napoléon created the position of Managing Director who was supposed to report directly to the Home Secretary. Thanks to the first two Managing Directors, Arsène Houssaye (1850-56) and Baron Empis (1856-59), the Comédie-Française became the Emperor's standard company. The second half of the 19th Century is thus known as the Administrators’ era. Later, the repertoire became homogenous and excelled with bourgeois comedy. Émile Perrin (1871-85), the former Director of the Paris Opera, brought Paris high society to the Comédie-Française. A first-rate company of outstanding actors performed plays by Hugo, Dumas, Pailleron and Coppée that were staged by the Managing Director himself. He also initiated the subscription system.

During Jules Claretie's 28-year administration (1885-1913), however, the company experienced financial problems. After the tragic fire of 1900 during which the young pensionnaire (contracted actress) Jane Henriot died, the theatre had to be rebuilt. Between 1913 and 1936, Comédie-Française went through a period of transition. During World War I, it performed for the Army, gave fund-raising galas and featured patriotic plays. An important decree in 1946 authorised it to run the Théâtre de l'Odéon — called Salle Luxembourg to distinguish it from the Salle Richelieu. It made some of the sociétaires (shareholding members) leave the company. Over the decades that followed, Odéon was to be associated with and then separated from the Comédie-Française several times. Today the repertoire of Comédie-Française has reached 3,000 works and the company owns three theaters in Paris. Additionally, it is known as the current resting place of the heart of the French writer Voltaire.