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 paricularly interesting example of the comédie-ballet genre as it was written and performed by Molière and his troup 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.   The book includes all the texts which existed in Molière's lifetime, and examines the development of the genre in the years from 1664 when it was first performed, to 1672 when new songs and balletic interludes were added.   This is a volume in the Textes littéraires/Exeter French Texts.  The text, introduction and essential notes are all in French.