Mirabeau vu par les écrivains romantiques

Abstract

Because of his scandalous youth, his role at the beginning of the Revolution, and his ambiguous character, Mirabeau interested the Romantics. Mme de Stael and Chateaubriand considered him to be an exceptional being with an uncommon destiny, impressive physique and fiery eloquence. Although Balzac identified with him, Stendhal, however, was not very interested in him, and George Sand saw him as a false revolutionary motivated by ambition and bought off by the right. It was Hugo who developed all the elements which gave Mirabeau a truly mythical status, expressing his own political and social ideals. Following him, Michelet and other historians, and Lamartine together created, during the Romantic period, the legend of Mirabeau.