The purpose of this paper is to throw more light on the psychic structure of the marquis de Sade. The author has made use of Sade's works as well as of various biographic data.
The central role of anxiety and agression is emphasized, as well as the importante of fantasies of omnipotente as a mechanism of defence. In the author's opinion Sade was neither a monster nor a genius, but a man who went to great lengths to maintain a psychic equilibrium. In attempting this his creative ability must have been of great avail.