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Sera-t-il roi, ne le sera-t-il pas?

Olympe de Gouges · 1791

A 1791 pamphlet by Olympe de Gouges addressing the fate and trial of the king.

Gouges wrote this pamphlet addressing the king's fate, showing her political engagement during the Revolution.

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Title page of the 1791 French pamphlet 'Sera-t-il roi, ne le sera-t-il pas?' with subtitle 'Hippocrate dit oui, Galien dit non'. Below is the opening paragraph in italic French, followed by 'Messieurs,' and the body text addressed to the legislators, signed with a letter 'A' at the bottom. Handwritten 'F 774' appears at top right.
Olympe de Gouges, Sera-t-il roi, ne le sera-t-il pas?, 1791.

About this source

What it is

This is the title page of a 1791 pamphlet written by Olympe de Gouges, titled Sera-t-il roi, ne le sera-t-il pas? It is addressed to legislators and discusses the uncertain future of the king during the Revolution.

Why it matters

By 1791 the French monarchy's fate was a central political question, and this pamphlet shows Gouges directly engaging with that debate. It demonstrates her willingness to speak out on the most dangerous and divisive political issue of her time, years before her own execution.

Look closer

  • What might the subtitle quoting contradictory medical opinions suggest about the pamphlet's tone?
  • Why would Gouges address this pamphlet to the legislators rather than the public at large?
  • What risks might a writer take by publicly discussing the king's fate in 1791?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Olympe de Gouges on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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