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by Vesper on February 21st, 2007

Vesper

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Why would it be such a big deal if Marie Antoinette did say "Let them eat cake"? Please be specific.

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Answers. 7 helpful answers below.

  • by Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony on October 31st, 2008

    Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony

    It would have shown a great amount of callousness on her part toward her subjects which was valuable to those who sought to remove her from the throne. Not something that would endear her to her subjects to say the least. Either way she died by the guillotine.

    See

    http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/227600.html

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  • by mendicant on February 21st, 2007

    mendicant

    It was most likely a sarcastic comment, simply because they didn't have (or were provided) bread or anything else to eat, why would they have (or get) cake?

    It was her looking down upon her already downtrodden subjects.

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  • by Tamilze on December 14th, 2008

    Tamilze

    I don't think that she actually said that, but it apparently shows her indifference to or ignorance of the problems of the common people of France at the time. Of course, it's more easy to see this by just looking at how much money she spent on mansions for herself while everyone else starved.

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  • by Anonymous on December 14th, 2008

    Anonymous

    Bread was a staple food. Saying "let them eat cake" displayed indifference to the needs of the people. Marie Antoinette didn't make this remark,her maid did. Nevertheless,Marie lived in opulence,was a figurehead ruler,and was totally oblivious to the concerns of her subjects.

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  • by despayre on October 16th, 2008

    despayre

    If she had said it, it would be a big deal because people had no bread to eat. But no, she never said "Let them eat cake", as a matter of fact, that same quote had been attributed to many other female leaders before her. One of which was the Spanish princess Marie Therese (not Antoinette's mother!), wife of Louis XIV; it was also attributed to one of Louis XVI's aunts (Madame Sophie); it is one of the many royal lores passed down through the generations. As a matter of fact, Rousseau mentions it in his Confessions in connection with an incident that occurred in 1740, Marie Antoinette had not even been born. The actual quote was "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" which is not cake, it's a fluffy round bread.
    Actually during the Flour Wars, when the French had no bread, Marie Antoinette wrote "It is quite certain that in seeing people who treat us so well despite their own misfortune, we are more obliged than ever to work hard for their happiness..."

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  • by 404 on December 14th, 2008

    404

    She did not really say that; it was all a myth. But since she was presumed to have said that, it was meant as a joke, because the females were revolutionizing and since females like cake, she said "let them eat cake".

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  • by Runs_With_Scissors on December 14th, 2008

    Runs_With_Scissors

    I don't think she actually said that...historically speaking.

    The problem with it was that the people in France were complaining that they had nothing to eat, not even bread. Allegedly, her retort was, "Well, then let them eat cake." It was a slap in their face.

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