Life and times of louis xiv
Life and times of louis xivThe life and times of Louis XIV
Louis XIV ruled France from 1651 until his death in 1715 (Bernier, Foreward). Louis XIV was on one the most well-known monarchs in France and in Europe. "When twentieth-century men speak of a king, the image that usually comes to mind is Charlemange or Louis XIV; no other rulers so completely dominated their lands both in their own times and in the memory of posterity." (Wolf, ix). He is portrayed in The Man in the Iron Mask as a selfish and dishonest king who will do anything to get what he wants. He was the total anangoist of the musketeer saying, "All for one and one for all." Louis learned to cover his feelings and intentions behind an austere presence, and he became a master of of secrecy and deception. Once he assumed total power, the major crime in the kingdom was anything his majesty considered to be an offense, ranging from breach of etiquette to high treason. Louis demanded total loyalty to the throne
and discretion in public and private behavior. (Dumas, Afterword). Louis was born on September 5, 1638. It was also an event that fell just short of being miraculous, for the king and queen had been married for twenty-three years and they detested each other. After all these years of unfruitful marriage, everyone had become resigned to the idea that the reigning couple, Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, would remain childless. This meant that the King's brother, Gaston d'Orleans would eventually inherit the throne. The birth of the new king brought national rejoicing (though not Gaston's). France finally had their longed-for "Dauphin," as the heir to the French throne has been called since the acquisition by France, in 1349, of the province of Dauphine. (Panicucci 4). Since neither parent had any doubt that this was the work of Providence, the baby was named Louis-Dreudonne, Louis the Gift of God. (Bernier 2). Louis XIII's hate for his brother and the battles between brothers throughout history in royal families brought about the plot in The Man in the Iron Mask where Louis XIII takes two twin brothers and separates them, one to be king and one to be in an iron mask so the royal family would not be divided.
Louis XIV knew his father, Louis XIII, for a small period. "Only a short time had they known each other, and even then there was no warmth in their relationship. The boy feared the gloomy man who, so very rarely, found a few minutes to peek into the nursery." (Aspler 22). In a letter Louis XIII once bitterly complained to Cardinal Richelieu: "I am very dissatisfied with my little son. As soon as he sees me, he cries as if he has seen the devil. He always runs after...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.