The Marquis de Sade is seen as repugnant and scandalous. From a young age, he failed to live up to his mother’s expectations. His mother held a prestigious position as the maid of honor to Princess de Condé, which offered the potential for establishing a close relationship with her son – the future heir to the Prince de Condé. This would have granted him constant access to the court and the numerous privileges reserved for the elite. Connections are commonly recognized as beneficial for adapting successfully to the challenges of life. However, Donatien Alphonse François de Sade, also known as the Marquis de Sade, possessed an innate inclination towards independence, a love for freedom, and a penchant for unconventional thinking from an early age. Remarkably, he even engaged in a physical altercation with the Prince de Condé, despite being young and still in the process of inheriting his title. Due to his unruly behavior, the young troublemaker de Sade was permanently exiled from the palace, effectively banishing him from the privileged palace lifestyle and its associated advantages.
The young Marquis de Sade is relocated to Provence. From birth until the age of 10, he is under the guardianship of his uncle, who is an abbé. The youngster resides in an antiquated fortress, surrounded by stone walls that offer constant shadow, which greatly nurtures the development of de Sade’s contemplations. Within the castle lies a spacious and profound cellar, where the young boy finds solace for hours. He delights in the sounds of water trickling from the ceiling, the scurrying of rats, and the presence of wandering ghosts and spirits. However, the boy’s burgeoning brilliance remains unafraid, as these phenomena merely evoke a fleeting sense of trepidation.
The child is significantly more captivated by the rodents’ playing music in a damp nook. For the first time, he witnesses the sexual act, when the male engages in indiscriminate copulation with females, displaying remarkable speed and showing little tolerance for rejection. He also ruthlessly bites those who attempt to evade the perpetual cycle of life’s continuation. In this scenario, the youngster acquires fundamental knowledge about the essence of existence, which is rooted in violence, degradation, and inevitably culminates in death. In addition to his understanding of the world, the youngster also immerses himself in books to learn about life. In these books, everything is portrayed in a more subtle and pleasant manner, although infused with philosophical ideas. As the young man grows older, he further explores this philosophical study inside the renowned Paris Jesuit corps.
The young Marquis is driven into a state of frenzy by philosophical passages and dogmas. He compares them to his own thoughts and concludes that his views more accurately depict life and its diverse expressions.
Simultaneously, as Donatien undergoes puberty at a quick pace and fails to find sexual release through interactions with females, he starts to fulfill his desires by engaging in sexual activities with male classmates. After acquiring knowledge of sodomy, de Sade continued to support and engage in it until his death. However, the intense passion of a young man temporarily diverted his attention from the battle, as he transitioned directly from his studies in the cavalry corps.
The battle provided Donatien de Sade with a complete experience of bloodshed, brutality, and indulgence in immoral behavior. At that moment, the young guy discovered that the winners are not evaluated. However, the Marquis, who was in the prime of his life, had no desire to engage in combat. Instead, he chose to abandon the fight and return to Paris, where he intended to embark on a social existence filled with enjoyable experiences. The fantasy of Marquis de Sade is realized as he finds himself in Paris, amidst a gathering of exquisite females and their equally charming companions.
The commencement of social activities is underway. Donatien enters into matrimony, although he falls short in demonstrating his worth as a dutiful son-in-law and loyal spouse. Right after getting married, the Marquis engages in various mischievous activities, such as visiting brothels and drinking establishments, where he eagerly seeks what his inexperienced bride cannot provide in bed.
At that point, the Marquis starts to be charged with all conceivable sins committed by humans. Sodomy, flagellation, rape, poisoning, and a proclivity for engaging in paid and unpaid intimate services – these are just a few of the immoral acts that the Marquis was able to perpetrate throughout his time on this planet. The Marquis de Sade endures persistent persecution from the government, undergoing medical treatment and incurring financial penalties for his scandalously violent conduct. For a period of time, the Marquis de Sade is incarcerated in prison due to extremely grave accusations. Despite being sentenced to death, de Sade successfully evades custody. In subsequent times, the agile Marquis consistently eluded confinement in fortresses and jails, where he was apprehended by the authorities due to his rebellious, audacious, and highly sexual conduct. The Marquis was imprisoned for a duration of thirteen years in the renowned Chateau de Vincennes.
During his incarceration, the Marquis endured severe and merciless treatment. He need essential provisions and requested clothing, sustenance, and literature from external sources. He commenced writing his initial stories, philosophical musings, and brief narratives during his time of incarceration. The Marquis de Sade was granted a pen, ink, and paper after being released from his incarceration circumstances. Strolls in the unpolluted atmosphere were also permitted. Subsequently, due to economic circumstances, the Marquis is relocated from the Château de Vincennes to the renowned Bastille, where he persists in composing his exceptional literary pieces.
As the Marquis de Sade is imprisoned in the Bastille, the Great French Revolution is progressing, leading to enraged masses gathering outside the renowned jail. The Marquis de Sade vociferates to the assembled multitude, alerting them to the fact that the inmates are being subjected to physical abuse and degradation, and impelling the populace to forcefully seize control of this fortress of malevolence. Due to the scandalous provocation and incitement to hatred of the Bastille, the Marquis has been relocated from prison to the Charenton hospital. Nevertheless, the Marquis’s plea did not escape attention and eventually, the populace stormed the Bastille. However, as is often the case with riots, they resulted in destruction, including the burning of the cell where the Marquis kept his valuable manuscripts.
Subsequently, the Marquis de Sade is acquitted of all accusations and regains his freedom. Marquis promptly aligns himself with the revolutionary faction and establishes a new romantic relationship with a woman who remains his lover until the end of his passionate days. The Marquis’s life did not become tranquil; instead, it was marked by persecution and harassment due to his involvement in distributing revolutionary pamphlets and political writings. Once more, the individual has experienced confinement in correctional facilities, eluded from captivity, sought refuge in mental health institutions, and received medical treatment in hospitals. Perpetual confinement and temporary liberation, lasting only a few months or perhaps days. The hospital Charenton is already widely known as the final refuge of the Marquis de Sade.
The Marquis succumbed to a fatal asthmatic episode. Prior to his demise, Donatien Alphonse François de Sade expressed his desire to be interred in the forest, with his grave being filled with acorns, and the location of his burial site being permanently erased from human memory, thus eradicating any recollection of it. Unfortunately, the final will of this visionary advocate of liberty was not carried out. He was interred in accordance with Christian tradition.
Many centuries have elapsed, yet the ideas of the Marquis de Sade, his philosophical beliefs, continue to thrive and prosper. It is inevitable that they persist, as they form the foundation of our society, where brutality and aggression are intricately connected with righteousness and purity, and cannot exist independently.
