Essay on Marie Antoinette: Praised Princess to Condemned Queen

After a few years, they manage to have children. Marie Antoinette wanted the French people to

Before the revolution France was ruled under the Ancien Regime system, meaning the country and all its people were under the reign of an absolute monarch. This was a tradition that had been upheld through the years and the Royal family had enjoyed a life funded by the people of France, the royal family’s lifestyle unaffected by the situation outside their palace. The Palace, Versailles, was built by king Louis XIV and the expenses for building this “village” was very high, and in later years the cost for its upkeep would play a significant role in Frances financial difficulties. In order for these difficulties to be overcome France needed a tax reform. The government had a very high tax rate on the poorest of their people, the Third Estate, and they were still not getting enough money to get out of their

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.

Furthermore, the queen of the France, Marie Antoinette, overspends the money on herself. This is a quote from a letter that she wrote to her mom, “On Tuesday I had a fete which I shall never forget all my life (Doc.B)”. In this quote, she is telling her mother about the party that she had, and this shows how ignorance she is. She doesn’t pay attention to the issues that the citizens are going through, and because of the overspent, France goes through a difficult time. Marie Antoinette helped the French Revolution to grow larger and more dangerous.

King Louis XVI became king at a very young age. At age 15, he had little to no interest in politics and definitely was not prepared to be the leader of a country. Marie Antoinette wasn’t very interested in politics either and would much rather spend her day at the poker table than helping run the country. The members of the 3rd estate were very impacted by her gambling and huge spending. It caused the 3rd estate’s taxes to be raised exponentially and they already couldn’t afford food.

According to the author, Stephen Zweig , in document #8 he states, “She spent the treasury on her own delights and desires: parties, opera, and her own personal country home: le Petit Trianon. Every year the Queen had some new fancy.” This also proven correct in the film. In the film, the morning after Marie Antoinette didn’t get the pleasure she wanted from Louis Auguste, she brought expensive items to bury her sorrow. Even though, this does not give Marie Antoinette the right to spend an endless amount of money, she again was 15 years old and had to carry the weight of creating an heir, which was hard to do when the man she is with was making it impossible. Marie Antoinette was also homesick, she missed Austria and everything she left behind. Being Austrian seemed to be a burden in Versailles. According to the author, Antonia Fraser, in document #6 she states, “to France, a hostile country where she was nicknamed “L’Autrichienne (The Austrian).” Behind her back, many of the nobility disliked her because she was Austrian, even the king didn’t like her and because of this he wasn’t willing to listen to her. This made it hard for Marie Antoinette to fit

Marie Ationnette was born as the 15th child into the Austrian royal family in 1755. At the early age of 14, she was married off in 1770 to the dauphine of France, Louis. At 19 she became queen of France, becoming an embodiment of the ancien regime, eventually becoming the symbol of the excesses of the monarchy and their irresponsible spending, earning her the name of Madame deficit. Marie Ationnette was significant to the revolution, for her symbolism of lavish spending, her scandals, and her role in the march of the women provoked the people to overthrow the Monarchy. Marie Ationnette was best known for her extravagant spending, which ultimately earned her the name “Madame Deficit”. To entertain herself Marie would often go to parties, theatre,

The future Queen of France was born on All Souls' Day, 2nd November, 1755, in Vienna as the youngest daughter of Maria Theresa and the Emperor Franz Stephan. She was baptized under the names Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna. A glorious future seemed to await the little Archduchess. Not only would she grow up in the bosom of a large and affectionate family, but from the very beginning her mother intended to marry her youngest daughter to the glittering Crown of France. The traditional marriage politics of the Habsburgs would secure her beloved daughter a brilliant position and help guarantee the peace and stability of Europe at the same time.

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.

When the King Took Flight The French Revolution has been analyzed by many different scholars, but Timothy Tackett does an excellent job at explaining the impact of King Louis XVI’s flight on June 21, 1791 and how his actions changed the actions of the French Revolution. Many events had occurred before the King decided to flee Paris. The King had sworn an oath to the Revolution and to uphold the new Constitution. During this time period swearing an oath was extremely meaningful. It was not just a promise to the people you are swearing to but God, himself.

Brief Summary- Dr. Munro Price, Modern European Historian at the University of Bradford, wanted to find out the truth of what the true actions and feelings of the King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were in those years before the collapse. After being dragged back to Paris from Versailles, they were then held prisoner in the capital. Concerned for their own safety, the King and Queen forced to agree with the revolution and its agenda. However, in secret, they both began devising a strategy and took the utmost precautions to hide their real policy. The Road from Versailles reconstructs much of what had been speculated until now as to the King and Queen’s clandestine diplomacy from 1789 until their executions. Dr. Price focuses on a small portion of history that has generally been unknown to the public, but could hold the key to the final days of the Old Regime and the mindset of the King. This book could give insight into the economic and social status

This dominance was no accident but rather was planned by King Louis XIV and his finance minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Jean-Baptiste Colbert declared “fashion is to France what the gold mines of Peru are to Spain.” The King and Colbert deliberately used fashion as a propaganda move to promote France and Versailles among the French people and inspire awe from foreign governments. In addition to inspiration, fashion provided Louis XIV with a distraction to occupy the minds of those at court while he manipulated political matters. By creating an elaborate dress code and complex social rules and manners, the King maintained control over a large group of nobles and soldiers living at Versailles. All who resided at or visited Versailles were expected to adhere to these regulated mannerisms of court etiquette.

Swoosh! Splash! Swish! A pirate ship sails through the salty ocean. Three pirate ships sail across the same deep glimmering marine. They all meet around the cove, but they all get ready for rivalry. One ship starts dismissing their cannons at their enemies. Just then, the other two ships began to sail away, but one cannonball proceeded towards one ship, and struck the ship leaving it to sink. Pirates used ships to get to their destination, and to be ready for their enemies.

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.