Marquis de Sade Biography

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Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat and philosopher who became notorious for acts of sexual cruelty in his writings as well as in his own life.

Synopsis

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Marquis de Sade, a French aristocrat, philosopher and writer of explicit sexual works, was born in Paris in 1740. His writings depict violence, criminality and blasphemy against the Catholic Church. During the French Revolution he was an elected delegate to the National Convention. The last 13 years of his life were spent in an insane asylum. He died in 1814.

Early Life

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Donatien Alphonse François, best known as Marquis de Sade, was born in Paris, France on June 2, 1740. His father was a diplomat in the court of Louis XV, and his mother was a lady-in-waiting. From the start, de Sade was raised with servants who flattered his every whim. Not long into his childhood, his father abandoned his mother, and his mother took refuge in a convent. By the age of 4, de Sade was known as a rebellious and spoiled child with an ever-growing temper. He once beat the French prince so severely that he was sent to the south of France to stay with his uncle, an abbot of the church. During his stay, while he was 6 years old, his uncle introduced him to debauchery. Four years later, de Sade was sent back to Paris to attend the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. After misbehaving in school, he was subject to severe corporal punishment, namely flagellation. He spent the rest of his adult life obsessed with the violent act.