Marie Antoinette Research Paper

2616 Words6 Pages

The French Revolution was one of the defining moments of French history. It overturned traditional ideas about the privileges of the aristocracy and the Church and replaced them with enlightenment ideals of democracy, equality, and secularism. It began in a time of financial crisis and overturned the old regime in France. The French Court, domain of the elite, was portrayed in the media as debauched and decadent, and led by Marie Antoinette, who was the most immoral of them all. Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), Queen of France and Navarre, was often characterized in libelles (pamphlets which slander a political figure) as a spendthrift, who was so focussed on her lovers and luxuries that she failed to notice the poverty of many commoners. …show more content…

Her childhood had imbued her with innocence, informality and a frivolous nature. At fourteen, she was still very much a child and not ready for the realities of the French court, which was completely different from what she had grown up with in Vienna. Ruled by Louis XV, the French court was almost destitute, demanding, debauched, and divided. Unfamiliar with the expectations of the French Marie Antoinette rebelled against the traditional expectations, causing the public, who had welcomed her with open arms upon her arrival, to turn against …show more content…

The old regime was symbolized by the grandeur of Versailles. Originally a hunting lodge, Versailles, was expanded and became a representation of the monarchy’s power. It was extravagant even by aristocratic standards and heavily decorated with pagan images, from half-naked cupids to Saturn, who bore a strong resemblance to Louis XIV, the Sun King. As magnificent as Versailles was, it cost a fortune to build and maintain, almost ten percent of France’s annual income. This angered the peasants who were forced to pay increasingly burdensome taxes. Meanwhile, the bourgeoisie had their own grievances with the feudal system. The bourgeoisie was a collection of middle class individuals, many of which were wealthy or had positions in government, who wanted the privileges of the aristocracy. Aristocrats were loath to share their wealth as many were unsure of their own fortune. No class was content and yet, away from the problems of their people, Marie Antoinette, and Louis XVI, continued as they always had, in splendor, feasting on farmers’ crops. The isolation of the monarchy at Versailles infuriated their citizens and caused distinctions between classes to blur, united by their hatred of the monarchy and their need for wealth. At Versailles, court life was opulent and required a vast fortune to upkeep appearances. At court, the aristocracy was expected to dress in their finest, follow

Open Document