I was a queen, and you took away my crown; a wife, and you killed my husband; a mother, and you deprived me of my children. My blood alone remains: take it, but do not make me suffer long.
Interpretation
This quote expresses the deep pain and loss suffered by Marie Antoinette, highlighting her resilience in the face of suffering.
In this quote, Marie Antoinette articulates the tragic losses she has endured; being stripped of her status as a queen, the death of her husband, and the deprivation of her children. Despite the immense suffering, she exhibits courage and a longing for a quick end to her suffering rather than prolonged anguish, showcasing the depths of her emotional and physical turmoil during her final moments.
In practice
In a literary analysis discussing themes of loss and resilience in historical figures.
Qu'ils mangent de la brioche. Let them eat cake. On being told that her people had no bread. Attributed to Marie-Antoinette, but remark is much older. Rousseau refers in his Confessions, 1740, to a similar remark, as a well-known saying. Others attribute the remark to the wife of Louis XIV.
No one understands my ills, nor the terror that fills my breast, who does not know the heart of a mother.
I had friends. The idea of being forever separated from them and from all their troubles is one of the greatest sorrows that I suffer in dying. Let them at least know that to my latest moment I thought of them.
I trust we shall never be reduced to the painful extremity of seeking the aid of Mirabeau.
Love bravely, live bravely, be courageous, there's really nothing to lose. There's no wrong you can't make right again, so be kinder to yourself, you know, have fun, take chances. There's no bounds.
Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war.
For us, driving is not what we are looking for, but being in the driver's seat of our only destiny. That means ending guardianship in Saudi Arabia, which means recognizing women as full citizens.
Group conformity scares the pants off me because it's so often a prelude to cruelty towards anyone who doesn't want to - or can't - join the Big Parade.
I was six years old before I realized that there was something wrong with me... But I did have this crooked left leg, and my left foot was turned inward.
I call upon those who love freedom to stand with us now. Together we shall achieve victory.
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