Table of contentsWhat was his rule about? Louis XIV's Narcissism as a Key Characteristic of His RuleConclusionDuring the 17th century, absolute monarchies became popular throughout European nations. Especially in France, which is the country most famous for its absolute rulers. In other regions, constitutional government began to form. Absolute monarchies are monarchs in which the king believes that they have the exclusive right to rule that was given by God (this is called divine right). Henri IV was notably the king (first in the Bourbon line) who laid the foundations of absolutism in France. After Henry IV, the reign of Louis XIII was that of an absolute monarch. The reign of Louis XIV was also an absolute monarch. Louis XIV is notably the definition of what an absolute monarch would be. However, Louis XIV was almost kidnapped during the Fronde, demonstrating the failure of absolute rule; Ultimately, the term absolute monarchy well describes the reign of Louis XIV seen through the intendants, his narcissistic view of himself, his declaration that the king had greater power over religious institutions in temporal matters and the public discontent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayWhat was his reign about?Louis XIV's use of intendants allowed Louis to oversee the multiple jurisdictions under his reign. Ultimately, Louis XIV controlled these intendants, whose jurisdictions they controlled. Therefore, showing that Louis XIV controlled every corner of France was a sign of absolute domination. In Bouchu's report to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, he reports having done what he could to "establish the authority of the king". This shows that this steward, Bouchu, asserts the power and domination of the king; therefore, this would give the king more power and thus show absolute power. Claude Bouchu would most likely report this because his job is that of an intendant, and the intendant's job is to communicate with his superiors to report on his work in promoting the king's interests – which shows absolute power. In Arnoul's (an intendant) report regarding efforts to convert the Huguenots to Catholicism, he states that he understands the king's intentions and that he is doing what he can to stop those who attempt to leave the countries without trying to cause bankruptcies. This steward demonstrates that he understands the king's intentions and he actively tries to follow through on them by stopping them, which demonstrates absolute power because he is directly following the instructions given by the monarchy. However, it could be argued that Arnoul is reluctant to be arrested due to the financial risks; in the end, he continues to follow the king's orders for those who are not merchants. is presented to the public; therefore, saying that his rule is the most important. Charles-François Poerson's portrait of Louis XIV seated on the throne of the supreme Roman god Jupiter, exhibited at the Palace of Versailles, shows the power that Louis XIV held. Louis XIV sitting on the throne of the Roman god Jupiter says that Louis is on the same level as God. Most importantly, Jupiter in Roman mythology is the king of the gods; hence, signifying the absolute power/rule that Louis held. More importantly, because it was displayed at the Palace of Versailles, that means it was a public portrait that everyone saw. Indeed, Versailles was a palace in which nobles had to live part of the year. Thus, the purpose of showing this portrait is to demonstrate to the audience the power that Louis held, which once again demonstrates/affirms theabsolute power. Memoirs of Louis XIV for the instruction of the Dauphin, displays his arrogance by choosing the symbol of the sun which shows that everything revolves around him and that his influence is seen everywhere. This shows that his rule was an absolute rule because by explaining that everything revolved around him, it is essentially saying that everything around him is under his rule. Additionally, by explaining how his rule is distributed across all regions of the world, he demonstrates that he is capable of ruling all corners of the world. Therefore, showing its absolute rule. Louis XIV's phrase "I am the State" also shows that he is an absolute ruler. The expression gives the meaning that Louis is France and that France is Louis. This narcissistic comment demonstrates that he is an absolute monarch because if he is the state, then he is capable of establishing any laws he wants. The declaration that Louis XIV and his successors have more power in temporal matters over the Church demonstrates the absolute rule of controlling all aspects of his country. In the Declaration of the Assembly of the Clergy of France it was declared that the Church has no power in temporal and civil matters and that, therefore, the king does not have to listen to the Church in matters which are not spiritual (Doc. 4). This statement demonstrates Louis' absolute rule because this statement gives Louis XIV more power in his country. Indeed, if there were religious institutions with civil/temporal power in this country, then Louis XIV would have less control. Whereas when the Church has no civil/temporal power, Louis XIV would then have more possibilities to assert absolute government. The aim of this document is to demonstrate that temporal figures have more power than religious figures in civic matters. It would therefore be logical for them to declare that religious entities have no power in temporal matters, because they can thus create a clear separation between the role of religious figures in civic matters. Public discontent demonstrates that Louis XIV has absolute power in matters in France due to the content of these documents. François Fénelon's letter to Louis XIV expresses his dissatisfaction with the monarchy in his letter, but he also demonstrates that Louis Fénelon's explanation that God would help Louis XIV shows that Louis was always watched over by God and that God is on his side. This therefore shows that Louis' rule is justified and protected by God, which is a characteristic of absolute rule. An anonymous parody of the Lord's Prayer criticizing Louis XIV circulated in France, in which they demanded food. The demand for food demonstrates that Louis has complete authority over his country. Indeed, the absolute reign of Louis XIV contributed to the economic suffering of the country; therefore, the demand for food, as the parody shows, is the result of Louis' absolute rule. The document was written during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), which would explain why the author was critical of the government. Indeed, the course of the war would cause France to suffer economically. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Although Louis XIV was almost kidnapped by nobles during the Fronde (1648 -1653) which can show that he was not an absolute ruler; it was only because he was a young boy. As he grew into adulthood, he would slowly demonstrate a much more absolute rule. During the Fronde, nobles burst into the palace to try to kidnap Louis XIV. Fortunately, he escaped. It can be argued that Louis was not an absolute monarch; however, he.