Louis XIV :: essays research papers

Louis XIVGreed is defined in the dictionary as selfish and grasping desire for possession specially of wealth. It is also described as a noun. This definition can be directly related and best describes Louis XIV, the king of France in the sixteen hundreds. The effects of cupidity destroying peoples lives can be seen in the beginning of Louis XIVs reign, during his reign, and after his reign had endedLouis XIV inherited the throne in 1643 when he was completely five (Cairns 103). From the moment he entered power and his reign began he had greedy intentions and enormous ideas of divine rule (Cairns 112). In 1661, Louis chief advisor Cardinal Jules Mazarin died and Louis whence decided that he would be the only ruler of France (Spielvagel 1). Louis once expressed, It is now time that I govern them myself. I request and order you to seal no orders except my command, I order you not to sign anything, not even a passport without my command to render account to me personally each twen ty-four hour period and to favor no one (Spielvagel 1). This quote reveals Louiss desire to have power over everything and control everyone around him. Louis used the sun as his sign of power. He often quoted, I am the state (Cairns 35). Exposed in this quote is Louis mindset that he had all power. Using the sun as his sign of power enforced his belief that he was the center of all things. Author of Court Described by Duc De Saint Simon, Elena Steingrad, stated the following when referring to King Louiss life, he compelled his courtiers to live beyond their income, and gradually reduced then to depend on his bounty for the means of subsistence. This was a plague which became a scourge to the solid country (4). The quote shows Louis greedy intentions, which eventually led to widespread confusion and an economic drop to the country of France (Steingrad 4). Louis XIV in the beginning of his reign was head start to show signs of his enormous, greedy intentions and his belief in div ine rule. It was the start of his reign that France began to slowly crumble. In the beginning of Louis XIVs reign he make an enormous decision, which revealed his greed for his own personal needs. The Palace of Versailles that he had constructed in 1682 is an excellent symbol of Louis over usage of the countrys money on himself.