GMAT Exam  >  GMAT Questions  >  Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal ... Start Learning for Free
Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.
This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.
Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.
There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.
Q. The primary purpose of the passage is to
  • a)
    critique the morals of the court of Louis XIV
  • b)
    discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistresses
  • c)
    contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XV
  • d)
    suggest the main cause of the French Revolution
  • e)
    describe the utility and flaws of a political tradition
Correct answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic sta...
The correct answer is (E) describe the utility and flaws of a political tradition.
The passage primarily focuses on the role and significance of royal mistresses in the French court, specifically during the reigns of Louis XIV and his successors. It explores how mistresses were traditionally expected to please the king, serve as scapegoats, and avoid meddling in political affairs. However, it notes that this expectation was not always met, as mistresses often pursued political interests, particularly securing rights for their illegitimate children.
The passage further highlights the differences between Louis XIV's mistresses and those of later kings, specifically Louis XV. It suggests that Louis XIV's strict control over the court and the press helped shield his mistresses from intense scrutiny and criticism, allowing him to deflect blame onto them and maintain his image of absolute control. On the other hand, the mistresses of later monarchs faced harsher criticism, and the manipulative tactics employed by Louis XIV could not be replicated with the same degree of success by his successors.
Furthermore, the passage emphasizes the consequences of Louis XIV's skillful manipulation of public perception. While he was able to construct a fictional space that separated him from his people, later monarchs, like Louis XVI, were not as adept at doing so. The fictive space, however, did not disappear but was taken over by satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights in the years leading up to the French Revolution. The passage suggests that this shift in control over the construction of the fictive space contributed to the eventual downfall of the monarchy.
Overall, the passage aims to describe the utility and flaws of the political tradition of employing royal mistresses in the French court, highlighting the manipulation, criticism, and consequences associated with this practice. Therefore, the correct answer is (E) describe the utility and flaws of a political tradition.
Attention GMAT Students!
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed GMAT study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in GMAT.
Explore Courses for GMAT exam

Similar GMAT Doubts

Film scholars agree that Hollywood portrayals of America at war follow a cyclical pattern. During and immediately after a conflict, important films trumpet glory and sacrifice. Ten to fifteen years later, questioning and sometimes pacifistic movies about the conflict dominate. In the late 1960’s, “the raging bulls” of Hollywood—the young trendsetters rising to prominence—proclaimed this pattern obsolete. However, the passage of time has demonstrated this cultural pattern to be more resilient than it seemed in those days of social change.Throughout the majority of the last century, evidence of the cyclical portrayal of war in film abounds. After America declared war against Germany during World War I, the still infant film industry glorified the fight against “the Hun.” By the early 1930’s, major releases had changed their tone; for example, All Quiet on the Western Front put forth an anti-war message by displaying the horrors of combat. After World War II began, the industry shifted gears. Suddenly, important pictures again portrayed glories and courage without the questioning or despair. For example, Guadalcanal Diary, produced during the war, showed “the ultimate sacrifice” as a noble and undoubted good. Once again, though, by 1957, films such as The Bridge on the River Kwai won awards for depicting the moral confusion of war.Those who later declared this pattern dead based their conviction on their hearts rather than their minds. During the Vietnam War, the only major film about that conflict was The Green Berets, starring John Wayne and far closer in tone to Guadalcanal Diary than to The Bridge on the River Kwai. Similarly, years went by before more complex visions of war, such as Apocalypse Now, and then Platoon, emerged.While today’s film industry is more diverse and its audience more culturally fragmented, this cycle largely continues. Jarhead, a layered depiction of the first gulf war, premiered more than ten years after that conflict. Further evidence of this pattern can be seen in the release of Apocalypse Now Redux, which contained additional footage that the producers originally thought would repel audiences. Thus, the famous aphorism “The more things change, the more they stay the same” certainly applies to this aspect of the film industry.Q.What is the function of the last paragraph of thepassage?

Top Courses for GMAT

Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer? for GMAT 2024 is part of GMAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the GMAT exam syllabus. Information about Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for GMAT 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for GMAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for GMAT Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Long regarded as a necessary evil, the royal mistress is a classic staple of the French court. It was hardly a new trick for a monarch to use mistresses and political advisors as scapegoats, but the Bourbons did it with their own particular flare and brand of ceremony. Much of life in the French court was dictated by tradition, ritual, and custom, and the role of the mistress was no exception to this. Mistresses were there to please the king and be the target for unwanted criticism, but they were also expected to stay out of political affairs.This, of course, was hardly ever the case. The mistresses of Louis XIV, however, were rather well behaved in comparison to those of the future kings. Louis XIV fathered 13 illegitimate children with his mistresses over the course of his life. Thus, his many mistresses were often more concerned with securing rights for their illegitimate offspring than with meddling in affairs of the state. This lack of political meddling made them somewhat less prone to the tremendously harsh scrutiny faced later by those of Louis XV. Additionally, Louis XIV’s absolutist rule certainly had much to do with his mistresses remaining in their “proper places.” Furthermore, Louis’ strict control of the presses kept much of the harshest criticism at bay.Nevertheless, there was still a steady stream of underground literature and cartoons that demonstrated abhorrence for many of Louis’ paramours. What was important about the criticism that did proliferate against his mistresses, however, was that it was used to great advantage by Louis XIV. Indeed, he used it to deflect criticism off of himself. By having an easily disposable female to shoulder the blame for various monarchical mishaps, Louis was able to retain his appearance of absolute control and otherworldly perfection.There would, however, be consequences for such skillful puppet-mastery in the coming century. Louis XIV was the singular architect of a vast veil of fictive space inlaid between him and his people, creating a dangerous precedent of masterful manipulation that could not be maintained to the same degree by later monarchs. It was clear that Louis XIV crafted this fictive space cleverly and with great skill, peppering it with self-promoting propaganda to control his image in the collective imagination of his people. His progeny, however, were simply not as adept at doing so. Even more problematic, although future monarchs were not able to dexterously manipulate this fictive space themselves, it did not go away. Instead, it was the satirists, pamphleteers, and playwrights who took over its construction in the years leading up to the Revolution. In short, though it was Louis XIV who wrote his own mythology, Louis XVI would have his written for him.Q. The primary purpose of the passage is toa)critique the morals of the court of Louis XIVb)discuss the popular opinion of French royal mistressesc)contrast the mistresses of Louis XIV and Louis XVd)suggest the main cause of the French Revolutione)describe the utility and flaws of a political traditionCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice GMAT tests.
Explore Courses for GMAT exam

Top Courses for GMAT

Explore Courses
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev