Marie Antoinette, Woman to Scapegoat essays

Marie Antoinette, Woman to Scapegoat essays 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 Antoinettes 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 person. She would not continue until she had established the presence of a surgeon. She then insisted on a stretcher for the wounded man, instead of an uncomfortable post-chaise, and followed its progress (Fraser 170). However, these very qualities did not matter once Marie Antoinettes reputation began to drastically fall. Although the time itself was a difficult time for the French monarchy, it was mainly Antoinette's own attitude to her position that caused the most serious damage. In an age when monarchs were supposed to be servants of the state, it was especially important to present an image of devoted self-sacrifice to their subjects. However, it was precisely this dem...