The assignment: To research a topic related to the French Revolution then write a paper that demonstrates an understanding of the topic without directly quoting any of the research.
Marie Antoinette: The Play
Cast of Characters:
Marie Antoinette, main character (Displayed in Scenes I, II,
III, V, VI)
Wolfgang Mozart, friend, (Displayed in Scene I)
Maria Theresa, mother and Empress of Austria, (Displayed in
Scene I)
Carolina, sister, (Displayed in Scene I)
Louis XVI, husband and King of France, (Displayed in Scenes
II, III, IV)
Servant 1, (Displayed in Scenes
II, III)
Servant 2, (Displayed in Scene II)
Peasant woman 1 (Displayed in scene III)
Guard 1, (Displayed in Scenes IV, V)
Guard 2, (Displayed in Scenes IV, V)
Guard 3, (Displayed in Scenes IV, V)
Part I
June 5, 1762
Scene: Austria, Hofburg Palace. The wide
courtyard shows two children, 7 year old Marie Antoinette and Wolfgang Mozart.
In the background sits Carolina and Marie Theresa, watching the two play tag.
Marie Antoinette: (Dodges Wolfgang’s outstretched hand)
Missed!
Wolfgang Mozart: Not this time! (Lunges to the side and taps
Marie’s shoulder.) Tag!
Marie Antoinette: (Runs after Wolfgang.) Hey!
(Wolfgang trips and falls, and Marie runs to his side.)
Marie Antoinette: Are you okay? (Helps him to his feet.)
Wolfgang Mozart: I believe so. (Looks at Marie and nods.)
You are good. I will marry you someday. (Smiles. Marie blushes, and Maria
Theresa overhears their conversation.)
Maria Theresa: (To herself) Ah, no, if all goes well
it will not be you, Wolfgang, that my Marie will marry, but the future King of
France. (Carolina overhears her and looks at the two children, then
turns to Maria Theresa with a puzzled look.)
Carolina: Mother, what do you mean by Maria will marry the
‘future King of France’?
Maria Theresa: (Sighing.) I guess I have to explain it all.
Although the war is over, Austria still has to find a way to keep enemies from
invading Austria. Also, I need a stronger alliance with King Louis XV. In order
to secure that, I have attempted to arrange Marie to marry King Louis’s
grandson. That way, Marie can one day be Queen of France, and Austria will also
have French soldiers to protect the country. (Carolina nods.)
Carolina: The rule of Queen Marie Antoinette of France draws
near!
(Blackout)
Part II
March 2, 1775
Scene: The Palace, France, the courtyard. In the gardens,
20-year-old Marie Antoinette is skipping through the grass, her blond hair flying.
Louis XVI is leaning on a wall with rosebushes rising up it, fingering one of
the many locks he makes.
Marie Antoinette: It seems as though I have fallen into a
dream, where I can do whatever I wish and have all the pleasures and desires of
my heart. Truly I am the luckiest woman alive!
Louis XVI: (To himself) Yes, and you are like the
dancer and I the farm boy, content but wishing for such dancing skill. (He
sighs and sets the lock on the ground. Servant 1 and Servant 2 run up.)
Servant 1: Your highness, these letters have just arrived.
(Indicates to Servant 2, who has a large amount of letters in his arms.)
Louis XVI: Very well, let me see them. (Servant 2 drops the
envelopes at his feet and Louis kneels down to pick one up. He opens it.) Hmm…
the peasants are demanding lower taxes and more money for their work… the
usual… here is something new! The peasants say they have no bread. Maybe I
should ask Marie. You can go. (He waves his hand at Servant 1 and Servant 2,
and Servant 2 exits, but Servant 1 stays in the background. Louis walks over to
Marie Antoinette, who stops skipping.) My dear Marie, we happen to be in a
situation. The peasants say that they have no bread.
Marie Antoinette: (Laughs) Then let them eat cake! (Twirls
away and begins to skip gaily again.)
Louis XVI: (Shakes head.) My wife has lost her mind.
(Servant 1 approaches.)
Servant 1: So you just noticed.
Louis XVI: Yes. But what can I do to stop her? I suppose all
I can do is nothing. Oh well. I will tell them what my wife said. (He and
servant 1 exit.)
Marie Antoinette: The peasants are perfectly happy. They
have no idea what trouble and worry it is to be a queen!
(Blackout)
Part III
Scene: A small room, highly decorated. In a corner on a
wooden chair Louis XVI writes something with a quill on a piece of paper,
occasionally dipping the quill into a glass bottle of ink. Servant 1 barges in
and Louis XVI looks up.
Servant 1: SIR! SIR! The peasants are attacking! They are
demanding bread!
Louis XVI: What? After all I have done, keeping them safe
from enemies? This is an outrage! Where are the guards?
Servant 1: They all are either dead or unconscious or taken
prisoner by the mob. Right now they are breaking down Queen Marie’s door!
Louis XVI: Then she should be here soon. A secret tunnel
that leads here is inside her room. (A flap in the wall opens, and Marie
Antoinette appears.)
Marie Antoinette: I don’t understand! They want bread, but
they refuse to eat cake! Who could refuse to eat cake?
Louis XVI: My dear, they have no cake either.
Marie Antoinette: No cake? Maybe they should eat sugar
cookies, then.
Louis XVI: They don’t have any food. And a hungry, angry mob
is one of the worst mobs. (The door suddenly breaks down and a huge group of
women rush in, wearing rags and holding knifes, pitchforks, and other dangerous
farm tools.
Peasant woman 1: Queen Marie Antoinette, King Louis XVI, you
are coming with us!
Louis XVI: Guards! Guards! (At this point the mob hides
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette from sight and all race off the setting.)
(Blackout)
Part IV
Scene: A road crawling with peasants. On a large platform
in the center are Guard 1 and Guard 2, each standing on each side of the
guillotine, and as a wooden wagon approaches, the crowd parts to show Guard 3
and Louis XVI in it. Louis has his hands tied behind his back and wears a plain
white shirt and brown pants. The crowd jeers at him as he passes. One person
even throws a tomato. Guard 2 has a drum.
Guard 1: Here is the traitor you have been waiting for, King
Louis XVI! (The crowd cheers, and Louis XVI steps onto the platform.)
Louis XVI: I die innocent of all the crimes of which I have
been charged. (At this angry shouting rises up from the crowd) I pardon those
who have brought about my death, and I pray that the blood you are about to
shed may never be required of France… (At this point Guard one signals with his
hand at Guard 2, and Louis’s last words are lost in the beat of the drum. As
Louis is put into the guillotine, then (Blackout), and then a great
cheer up.)
Guard 3: Ex-King Louis XVI is dead! Long live the republic!
Part V
Scene: The road is crawling with shouting peasants. The
platform, the guillotine, Guard 1 and Guard 2 are standing beside it, and
nearly everything the same. The wagon comes with Guard 3 and Marie Antoinette,
whose hands are tied and wears a plain white dress. Five tomatoes are thrown,
and Marie Antoinette steps onto the platform. The crowd jeers loudly.
Guard 1: I present to you: Marie Antoinette, soon to be the
late Queen of France! (At this the mob laughs and Marie Antoinette opens her
mouth to say something, but Guard 3 interrupts.)
Guard 3: The lady would like to present a no doubt
well-rehearsed story about how she is innocent and doesn’t deserve to die, like
her husband. I wonder if she remembers how well that got him out! (The mob
laughs, and Marie Antoinette closes her mouth and hangs her head. The drum
beats and Marie is walked over to the guillotine, where there is a (Blackout)
in the darkness a loud cheer rises up.)
Guard 3: Ex-Queen, Marie Antoinette, is dead! Long live the
republic!
Mob: Long live the republic!
Part VI
Scene: Death, an empty darkness except for in the center,
where a faint light shines onto the ghost of Marie Antoinette, who is all white
and speaks to the audience.
Marie Antoinette: That was the story of how I foolishly did
what pleased me, and it eventually cost me my life. I didn’t bother knowing
that each expensive party I had would make at least one family go hungry. I
didn’t notice I was starving people to death when I bought a fancy diamond
necklace, or a golden bracelet, or even when I set banquets for foreign
soldiers. My life of pleasure eventually secured an early death. I hope that
you do not make the mistake I did. I wish you a happy and safe life.
(Blackout)
The
End
(All Characters come to the stage and bow, then leave.)
Sources:
Mulvihill, Margaret, The
French Revolution, Gloucester Press, 1989, New York
Gilbert, Adrian, The
French Revolution, Thomson Learning, 1995, New York
Lot of work there, good job! No direct quotes of the research, really GREAT job -- shows you can put thoughts in your own words.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mrs. Cindy.
ReplyDelete