AS SEEN ON TV: NICOLAS FOUQUET

Today's "ASOTV" showcase is of an historical figure whose life has been fictionalized.....

NICOLAS FOUQUET

AS SEEN IN:

"The Man In The Iron Mask"

CREATED BY:

Alexandre Dumas

PORTRAYED BY:

Patrick McGoohan

TV DIMENSION:

Earth Prime-Time

 

From Wikipedia:

Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux (January 27, 1615 – March 23, 1680) was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV. He fell out of favor with the young king, probably because of his extravagant displays of wealth, and the king had him imprisoned from 1661 until his death in 1680.

Fouquet's story is often entwined with that of the Man in the Iron Mask, who is often identified as the true king or even as an identical twin brother of Louis XIV. As such, he is a pivotal character in Alexandre Dumas' novel "The Vicomte de Bragelonne", where he is depicted sympathetically. Aramis, an ally of Fouquet, tries to seize power by replacing Louis XIV with his identical twin brother. It is Fouquet who, out of sheer loyalty to the crown, foils Aramis' plot and saves Louis. This does not, however, prevent his downfall.

James Whale's film "The Man in the Iron Mask" is very loosely adapted from Dumas' novel and, by contrast, depicts Fouquet as the story's main villain, who tries to keep the existence of the King's twin brother a secret. In the 1977 version, Fouquet is portrayed by Patrick McGoohan.

O'BSERVATION:

The fictional televersion of Fouquet would certainly be in keeping with Fouquet's fate when he falls out of favor with Louis. That Louis XIV would actually be the twin brother Philippe.

BCnU!