Primary Source

Marie Antoinette as a Serpent

Engraving of Marie Antoinette depicted as a serpent

Annotation

The Queen, never popular to begin with in France, also bore the brunt of popular anger in 1792, as seen in these images of the King, Queen, and elsewhere the entire royal family, as animals. One wonders if this dehumanization of the King and Queen might explain why they became such lightning rods for criticism and, moreover, why the entire royal family would eventually be excluded from any protection under law, at the very moment that a constitution ensuring the rights of all people was being put into effect.

How to Cite This Source

"Marie Antoinette as a Serpent," in World History Commons, https://worldhistorycommons.org/marie-antoinette-serpent [accessed November 21, 2024]