ABSTRACT
Agrippa d'Aubigne, Huguenot, soldier, and man of letters, composed his autobiography, Sa Vie a ses enfants before his death. D'Aubigne's writing censures the inauthenticity of the courtier's existence by privileging essence over appearance. In several key scenes in d'Aubigne's autobiography, clothing plays a crucial role in creating a sense of drama and character, and in drawing attention to the author as the main actor. D'Aubigne performs a similar role as 'metteur en scene' at numerous other points in Sa Vie. Many of these depend on d'Aubigne instructing his fellow courtiers to perform a certain gesture in order to achieve a particular effect. The presence of an internal audience to witness and admire d'Aubigne's actions constitutes the final element of theatre found in Sa Vie. Audience remains central throughout the text of the autobiography. D'Aubigne imagines Sa Vie as a performance aimed at a specific audience.
