Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade

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"Conspiracy! Intrigue! A rapidly thickening plot! Add some bestiality and a lecherous priest and I'd say you have the beginnings of a beautiful novel."

―The Marquis de Sade, 1791.

Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814), commonly known as the Marquis de Sade, was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher and author famous for his libertine sexuality.

Biography

Early life

Born in 1740, de Sade came from a typical French noble family, with relatives among the army and the clergy. His father was a libertine and diplomat, while his mother was a lady-in-waiting to the Princess of Condé and rarely saw him. He grew up cultured and spoiled, having every wish fulfilled, while his own inclinations became visible. By the age of four, de Sade had become an arrogant and spoiled bully, beating the young Prince of Condé. For this, de Sade was sent to live with his uncle, the Abbé de Sade. The Abbé, however, was debauched and reminiscent of the clergymen appearing in de Sade's later works, introducing his six-year-old nephew to his own sexual interests, as well as pornographic litterature.

De Sade developed a sexual cruelty and grew fascinated with violence and prostitutes, in addition to defying all authority, rule or standard. Somewhat a black sheep, he was an atheist and fond of the performing arts. Due to his family's influence and wealth, he was able to get away with many crimes and sate practically any desire that crossed his mind.

At the age of fifteen, de Sade joined the cavalry of the French Army and began a brief, but distinguished career. He fought in the Seven Years' War and rose through the ranks to become a colonel, gaining attention for his bravery and womanizing. At that time, his deviant sexual preferences were not known to the public. At the age of thirty-one, de Sade left the army and spent his time living at the Château de Lacoste, beginning a life of libertinism.

Scandals

In 1763, with the King's blessing, de Sade married the uninteresting, but extremely wealthy noblewoman Rénée-Pélagie de Montreuil at the Church of Saint-Roch in Paris. Together, they had two sons and one daughter. At the same time, he had an affair with his sister-in-law, Anne-Prospère, and frequently indulged in local prostitutes. By de Sade's twenties, brothels were warned not to let him take prostitutes off the property, and on one occasion, he forced a prostitute to listen to his arguments in favor of atheism for an entire night. The following day, she had him arrested.

In 1768, de Sade became the center of a scandal and was marginalized by society when he hired a woman as a chambermaid, only to tie her up, cutting wounds in her, into which he poured hot wax. As a result, his enraged mother-in-law had him imprisoned. He soon returned to his old ways, however, partying with ill-reputed women and at one point using the aphrodisiac Spanish fly on a group of prostitutes, leading to an accusation of poisoning and a death sentence. Fleeing to Italy, his effigy was executed in his absence.

De Sade's infamy only spread when, in 1776, he hired a group of girls as well as one boy and subjected them to weeks of experimental orgies and deviance. The father of one girl later tried to shoot him, but the gun misfired.

Personality and characteristics

De Sade was a proponent of extreme freedom, unrestrained by morality, religion or law. He was a noticeably flamboyant, eccentric and hedonistic man. As a libertine, de Sade had no moral qualms, and hence embraced a criminal lifestyle. His time in prison did nothing to reform him, and he even made a mockery of it by feigning insanity.

De Sade was also a passionate and gifted writer, philosopher, and spoke very eloquently and metaphorically. Despite his charm and charisma, his personality could be seen as lecherous and obnoxious, particularly to Arno Dorian and Élise de la Serre.

Trivia

• Alexandre Amancio noted Unity's depiction of the Marquis de Sade has been based on Hannibal Lecter.

Gallery

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  Concept artwork of de Sade
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  Development artwork of de Sade
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  An illustration of de Sade