Life and Legacy of Marie Antoinette Essay

While many people may be familiar with the story of the French Revolution and history of Marie Antoinette, they may not fully comprehend the lively debate that continues to exist around Marie Antoinette. A debate over how Marie Antoinette should be remembered exists, with some arguing that Antoinette was spoiled and careless and others taking the stance that Antoinette was a victim of her harsh circumstances. Before delving into this controversy, background knowledge of Marie Antoinette’s life can assist in understanding the controversy. In 1770 at the age of fourteen, Marie Antoinette, daughter of Austrian empress Maria Theresa, was married to Louis XVI of France to strengthen French and Austrian relations. In 1774, Louis XVI became king and Marie Antoinette became queen. Dissatisfaction toward Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and economic turmoil led the French Revolution to begin in 1789, with Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette eventually being guillotined in 1793 (Covington 56-65).

It can be easily said that the intended audience for this letter was to Marie Antoinette’s mother, Maria Theresa the empress of Austria. Marie states several times throughout the letter of her many thanks to her mother for the reciprocating letters. The excitement in Marie’s tone is evident that she is astonished, despite the chaotic excitement upon their arrival, the amount of order there is. Marie is overjoyed that despite the hardships that the peasants faced, such as taxes, they remain loyal to her and her husband Louis, and show their affection with cheering and excitement. In response to the love that they received, Marie makes a point to tell her mother that the dauphin and herself wished the citizens not to be harmed despite the fact that they were unable to move for hours from the sheer masses of people who gathered upon their arrival.

Many people may argue that Marie Antoinette was the biggest factor for why France fell into a revolutionary state, however, Marie Antoinette was a queen victimized and forced to play role from a young age to satisfy the French people who disapproved. Marie Antoinette was falsely blamed for her actions when in fact it wasn’t her fault. Marie Antoinette was forced to accept a society where she had to learn new customs and traditions. She had to leave everything behind, consequently become something she isn’t. Her frustration and unhappiness with Versailles was no surprise. Marie Antoinette was frustrated by her marriage. At Versailles her husband-to-be, Louis Auguste had no interest in her. In the film, Marie Antoinette, the director clearly

The controversial story of Martin Guerre becomes intensified as historian Natalie Davis and Robert Finlay makes their persuasive argument. Davis presents the story in a humorous way, portraying Bertrande sympathetically and developing her as an “honorable” figure. In the sixteenth century France, honor is a central aspect of women's identity and reputation. To gain honor, the woman remained faithful to their husband and followed the strict rules of Canon law, married women were not allowed to remarry or make a relationship with other men without the proof of husband’s death (Davis, Martin 20). However, presenting Bertrande de Rols as a strong assertive woman Davis intentionally reveals that Bertrande is capable of doing more than the housework.

De France, Marie. The Lais of Marie De France. Trans. Glyn S. Burgess and Keith

Not long into Marie Antoinette’s marriage she began spending more and more time at her private castle, Petit Trianon, mostly without the king. It was around that time when rumors about her relationship with Swedish diplomat Count Axel von Fersen were starting to be known. In the 1780’s the French government

At first the French en masse looked to Antoinette lovingly as the future queen of France. But soon enough the public found reasons to dislike the native Austrian, as established by the many tell-tale rumours of the Queens habits. The first buzz that saw the beginning of Maries’ ever declining position was her supposed infertility. Of course it is common knowledge today that she was completely capable of producing children to continue the royal line. Nevertheless, when Marie, aged fifteen at the time, and Louis then aged 16, did not consummate on the night of their wedding, and then for seven more years, what was there to do but speculate? Many of her mother’s letters to her include advice and encouragement to produce an heir, which until she

The Princesse de Lamballe (a close friend of Marie Antoinette), fled revolutionary France to rally foreign support for the monarchy. Despite being in the safety of the English court and knowing the dangers that awaited, she returned to France out of a deep sense of loyalty for her friend and queen. Before returning, she made sure to write out her last will and testament, knowing that in the midst of the revolution she would be presented with no other opportunity to do so.

The story of revolution and resistance in 18th-century France is a complicated one, and no two historians tell the story the same way. However, it is clear that for the revolutionaries, Marie Antoinette’s significance was mainly, powerfully symbolic. "She and the people around her seemed to represent everything that was wrong with the monarchy and the Second Estate: They appeared to be tone-deaf, out of touch, disloyal (along with her allegedly treasonous behavior, writers and pamphleteers frequently accused the queen of adultery) and self-interested"( Moore 17 ). What Marie Antoinette was actually like was beside the point; the image of the queen was far more influential than the woman herself.

Throughout time, many women have tried to put a mark on this world, but many have failed. Catherine de Medici is one of the few that made an immense impact on society and who eventually became Queen of France.

It is certain that the fire at Coulibri was the chief cause of Antoinette's madness. However, more can be revealed about her with a closer examination of the burning of Coulibri and the fire she set at Thornfield Hall. At Coulibri, "the blaze, started by family

comparison I can think of is when I moved to middle school. I was the

Marie Antoinette was put with Louis XVI, for marriage, when she was young and her mother, the empress, desired that her daughter be the queen of France. This meant that Marie Antoinette had to please the French ambassadors and her mother so she can be chosen to marry the Dauphin. There was tremendous pressure for Marie Antoinette to appear perfect, therefore she was concerned for what people thought of her. In the beginning of the novel she let her mother bend her will, and she knew this. She always wanted to be similar to her sister Elizabeth, who was defiant and ceased to allow her mother to control her. To clarify, Marie Antoinette demonstrated some naive characteristics because she just did what she was told and never gave it a second-thought.

Antonia Fraser’s objectives on Marie Antoinette cannot be limited to the detailed description of Marie Antoinette’s life, providing an astounding job of assuring the reader of emotions that Marie Antoinette certainly must have felt throughout her lifetime. Fraser tells the conflicts of her marriage as she was unhappy, the loneliness she must have experienced, and the shock of being away from home and marrying at such a young age. Fraser shows skill in informing and delivering ideas and topics. Throughout the book Fraser presents information by means that does not bore the reader. Her skill is in bringing forth a story with meaning and take away significance that is deeply woven into her work. This skill is valuable, as Fraser holds attention continuously throughout her biography.

Before Marie Antoinette married Dauphin Louis XVI in 1770, the situation in France was already beginning to become disordered. The peasants, which made up about 90% of the population at the time, were treated unfairly and began to feel frustrated and upset with the Monarchy. At the time, Marie Antoinette was distrusted because of her foreign birth and many of the peasants saw her as the source of their problems and disliked her. She was often seen in the past as a bad Queen due to her careless spending and seemingly frivolous lifestyle, now with more evidence and sources, opinions have shifted. Many see Marie Antoinette as a victim of her own circumstances, as it can be seen by the state of affairs in France before her arrival, her upbringing and public opinion before her death during the French Revolution. This essay will illustrate that Marie Antoinette was indeed a victim of her circumstances.