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Why did Louis XIV oppose Jean de La Fontaine’s election to the French Academy?
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Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine, oil painting by François De Troy; in the Bibliothèque Publique et Universitaire, Geneva
King Louis XIV initially opposed the election of Jean de La Fontaine to the French Academy due to the poet's unconventional and irreligious character.1
Despite his literary success and support from various members of the nobility, La Fontaine was known for being impatient with constraints and possessing a personality that did not align with the king's expectations for courtly conduct. Nevertheless, he was eventually elected to the Academy in 1683.12