Marie Antoinette Research Paper
Mehrnaz Nodehi
Rachel Crawford
English 1304, Thinking, Writing, and Research
2 May 2011
Marie Antoinette; an Impossible Image
“Let them eat cake”, quoted by the misunderstood Queen of France is a line that has been twisted and misinterpreted by the people of France. The film about Marie Antoinette was created by Sophie Coppola, and is a similar depiction of what the queen was like during the 18th century. In spite of the fact that Antoinette is famous for being hated, Coppola does a superb job at giving people an inside look into her personal life inside of the palace. Coppola gives her audience another perspective to Marie Antoinette, a side that influences viewers to sympathize with the ill-fated queen. The film makes a purpose to show …show more content…
The diamond necklace is originally made for Louis XV mistress, a courtesan named Madame du Barry, however Louis XV dies of small pox and the courtesan is banished from the court (Thurman 3). Jeanne de La Motte was the one who plotted the whole case against Antoinette to gain wealth and power. She uses a young prostitute named Nicole Le Guay to impersonate Antoinette and La Motte forges Antoinette’s signature buying the necklace in secrecy and makes a deal to pay for the necklace in installments. La Motte takes apart the necklace and sells the diamonds individually. When it comes time to make a payment, Antoinette says she never received a necklace. The scandal is brought to court and La Motte and the prostitute is arrested. Even though Antoinette is innocent, the dishonor does not gain her popularity among the French (Saint-Amand 392). Coppola has an interesting way of incorporating the scandal without actually putting the affair in the film. There is a scene in the film, representing a time in the past, where Antoinette is sitting in a bathtub wearing a diamond necklace and she speaks the words, “Let them eat cake”. Coppola cleverly utilizes this scene by incorporating Antoinette’s most famous line and scandal together. The following scene is Antoinette with her friends where she claims she never spoke those words (Ferriss 107). Ferriss and Young make an interesting point on Coppola’s scene saying, “ Coppola reveals an underlying irony: Marie Antoinette and her friends appear in the “real-life” scene completely cut off from the troubled outside world, indulging in a lifestyle of luxurious leisure” (107). Although Coppola’s goal is to put Antoinette in the best light possible, she does not leave out details from history that contribute to the queen’s
Rachel Crawford
English 1304, Thinking, Writing, and Research
2 May 2011
Marie Antoinette; an Impossible Image
“Let them eat cake”, quoted by the misunderstood Queen of France is a line that has been twisted and misinterpreted by the people of France. The film about Marie Antoinette was created by Sophie Coppola, and is a similar depiction of what the queen was like during the 18th century. In spite of the fact that Antoinette is famous for being hated, Coppola does a superb job at giving people an inside look into her personal life inside of the palace. Coppola gives her audience another perspective to Marie Antoinette, a side that influences viewers to sympathize with the ill-fated queen. The film makes a purpose to show …show more content…
The diamond necklace is originally made for Louis XV mistress, a courtesan named Madame du Barry, however Louis XV dies of small pox and the courtesan is banished from the court (Thurman 3). Jeanne de La Motte was the one who plotted the whole case against Antoinette to gain wealth and power. She uses a young prostitute named Nicole Le Guay to impersonate Antoinette and La Motte forges Antoinette’s signature buying the necklace in secrecy and makes a deal to pay for the necklace in installments. La Motte takes apart the necklace and sells the diamonds individually. When it comes time to make a payment, Antoinette says she never received a necklace. The scandal is brought to court and La Motte and the prostitute is arrested. Even though Antoinette is innocent, the dishonor does not gain her popularity among the French (Saint-Amand 392). Coppola has an interesting way of incorporating the scandal without actually putting the affair in the film. There is a scene in the film, representing a time in the past, where Antoinette is sitting in a bathtub wearing a diamond necklace and she speaks the words, “Let them eat cake”. Coppola cleverly utilizes this scene by incorporating Antoinette’s most famous line and scandal together. The following scene is Antoinette with her friends where she claims she never spoke those words (Ferriss 107). Ferriss and Young make an interesting point on Coppola’s scene saying, “ Coppola reveals an underlying irony: Marie Antoinette and her friends appear in the “real-life” scene completely cut off from the troubled outside world, indulging in a lifestyle of luxurious leisure” (107). Although Coppola’s goal is to put Antoinette in the best light possible, she does not leave out details from history that contribute to the queen’s