Man of Virtue, Man of Vice: Maximilien Robespierre and Modern Manhood

Abstract

Since his death in 1794, Maximilien Robespierre’s legacy has been debated by scholars and non-scholars alike. Some have called him a blood-thirsty dictator who used his political power to execute innocent citizens who crossed him while others have called him the living embodiment of the French Revolution. This study will examine Robespierre using the lens of gender. The French Revolution was not just a time of great social and political upheaval; it was a time in which concepts of masculinity were transitioning from a focus on aristocratic honor and male beauty to bourgeois sensibilities. Through his belief in restraint in a man’s personal life— including moral behavior, religion, and relationships with women—loyalty to the Revolution, and the willingness to sacrifice one’s life, Robespierre serves as a model of the transition of masculinity that resulted from the French Revolution.