The principal aim of this edition is to provide a reliable version of the text of Le Mariage forcé which can be used by students and scholars of 17th-century theatre. Le Mariage forcé, a little-known work, is a particularly interesting example of the comédie-ballet genre as it was written and performed by Molière and his troupe in three different versions over a period of eight years. First performed in front of Louis XIV and his court, complete with music, ballet and singing, the play also marks Molière’s first work in which Louis XIV took an active role.