Yukio Mishima – Madame de Sade

Madame de Sade is a historical fiction play written by Mishima Yukio and published in 1965. The play is based on the life of the Renée de Sade, the wife of the notorious Marquis de Sade. It details the struggles of Renée, her family, and acquaintances during the Marquis various periods of incarceration. All the onstage characters are female. After reading about Marquis and Madame de Sade Mishima questioned why Renée waited until the Marquis was finally let out of prison to leave him.