Marie Antoinette, Woman to Scapegoat
Today there is a tendency to overlook small factors in history that may seem silly, trivial, or irrational. However, these factors often have great influences over people and need to be observed. Marie Antoinette's involvement in the French Revolution is the perfect example of a tiny catalyst causing a great deal of change. The revolution was undoubtedly caused by the growing discontent of the French population towards the abuses of the upper class. However, no revolution could succeed without symbols or icons like Marie Antoinette. It was through clever rhetoric and twisting of facts on the part of French revolutionaries that Marie Antoinette became an icon for corrupt monarchy, thus, altering her image from a caring queen to a greedy wretch to aid in the advantage of the revolutionaries' political objectives. Born to the Austrian empress Maria Theresa on November 2, 1755, Marie Antoinette was obliged to marry Louis XVI of France to symbolize an alliance between Austria and France. Ironically, in the beginning of her marriage to the prince, Marie Antoinette was loved by the French people. She further established her reputation for kindness and compassion by stopping her carriage for over an hour to aid an injured pe
By this time, she was sick of arguing. She then insisted on a stretcher for the wounded man, instead of an uncomfortable post-chaise, and followed its progress" (Fraser 170). Through Marie Antoinette, Zoumut 5 the revolutionaries characterized the court as a playpen full of covetous and spoiled children. "The Queen's unabashed contempt for properties, her fickleness and frivolity gave apparent substance to these rumors attacking her virtue" (Lever 164). ] barbaric Queen, adulterous wife, woman without morals, soiled with crime and debauchery, these are the titles that are my decorations (Thomas178). In opposition to the popular behavior of her time, Marie Antoinette was extremely outgoing for a woman. Helping her friends seemed innocent enough to Antoinette; however, it was seen by others as a huge network of scandal. More so, the people were cheering for the end of monarchy and the cessation of "the worst of times" (Dickens 13). Antoinette did not see her actions as morally wrong, or a threat to the traditional way that royalty was to carry themselves with. The revolutionaries chose to take advantage of the situation and use the corrupted queen as a scapegoat for the French Revolution. It seems her less-than-acceptable seriousness when she first took the role of the Queen of France was the first stride on her path to unpopularity. The first of these many productions were in the form of an autobiographical confession and included the defaming words Catherine de Medici, Cleopatra, Agrippina, Messalina, my deeds have surpassed yours, and if the memory of your infamies still provokes a shudder, if its frightful detail makes the hair stand on end and tears pour from the eyes, what sentiments will issue from knowledge of the cruel and lascivious life of Marie Antoinette [. She was often shown with random men or partaking in orgies. The Queen misused her authority to shower gifts, offices, and money on her chosen favorites. Her husband then took the necklace to London, where it was disassembled for individual sale.
Common topics in this essay:
Marie Antoinette,
La Motte,
Marie Antoinette's,
Versailles Lever,
Deficit Asquith,
French Revolution,
Agrippina Messalina,
marie antoinette,
Antoinette Zoumut,
Antoinette Dickens,
,
marie antoinette's,
de la motte,
la motte,
de la,
french revolution,
scapegoat french,
diamond necklace,
asquith 131,
french people,
marie antoinette extremely,
people france,
whore asquith 131,
marie antoinette's reputation,
austrian whore asquith,
|
Acceptance Essays
