Ngọc Linh : Hello everyone, I'm the leader of Group 5, which includes Ngc Linh, inh

My, Nguyn My, Bo Ngân, and Huyn V. Today we will be discussing topic 5:People who
made a difference? We will be starting our little presentation with a fun minigame
to find out who we are presenting today.
Nguyễn My, Bảo Ngân : Lead the game
Đinh My : Wow, that’s such an interesting game; I’m sure you guys have learned a
bit more about Marie Antoinette right? Next, we will tell you more about the
teenage queen!
Huyền Vũ : These are the main parts of our presentation :
Biography
Why is Marie Antoinette so popular?
Affair of the Diamond Necklace
What was Marie Antoinette’s reign like?
How did Marie Antoinette die?
Comments
(Mọi người đi xuống từng đứa lên nói)
Đinh My : Hi guys, I’m Dinh Thi Tra My and I will present to you Marie’s
biography:
Marie-Antoinette, in full Marie-Antoinette-Josèphe-Jeanne d’Autriche-Lorraine,
originally German Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna von Österreich-Lothringen. She was
born on November 2, 1755, in Vienna, Austria, and died on October 16, 1793, in
Paris, France. The 11th daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Maria Theresa,
Marie-Antoinette was just 14 years old when she was married to the dauphin Louis,
grandson of France’s King Louis XV, on May 16, 1770, for political purposes. She
was so stunning that even Mozart, the musical genius, fell in love with her.
Nguyễn My : Thank you! I’m Nguyen Tra My, and now I will tell you about Part 2:
Marie Antoinette’s reign Marie Antoinette is not as popular as Albert Einstein,
Thomas Edison, or Adolf Hitler, so you may not know why she’s so popular. She’s not
popular for her talents or kindness, but for her scandals. As queen, Marie-
Antoinette was always unpopular. She spent lavishly, but her extravagance was only
a minor cause of France’s growing debt in the 1770s and ’80s. Because of Louis
XVI’s indecisiveness, Marie-Antoinette played an increasingly prominent political
role. Her rejection of reform and resistance to the French Revolution contributed
to the monarchy’s overthrow in 1792.

Bảo Ngân : Thank you, I’m Bao Ngan. The affair with the diamond necklace has
followed Marie her entire life. Marie Antoinette became even more disliked, and
malicious gossip about her made her a greater liability to her husband. The
'diamond necklace affair' was a scandal following the theft of France's most
valuable piece of jewellery. An adventuress, the countess de la Motte, schemed to
acquire a valuable diamond necklace by duping cardinal de Rohan into believing that
Queen Marie-Antoinette wanted to obtain it surreptitiously and that he could gain
her favour by facilitating its purchase. When the plot came to light, Louis XVI had
the cardinal arrested. Though he was acquitted, the arbitrary treatment of the
cardinal deepened impressions of the autocratic nature of the king’s government.
Even though she was innocent, they even nicknamed her Madame Deficit (meaning Mrs.
Debt).
Huyền Vũ: Hi guys I’m Huyen Vu, and as you have known, after the case above,
Marie’s popularity and that of the French monarchy also decreased a lot. So her
reign was very difficult, and it was also the first thing to lead to the French
Revolution. Life as a public figure was not easy for Marie Antoinette. Her marriage
was difficult, and, as she had very few official duties, she spent most of her time
socialising and indulging her extravagant tastes. One thing that not everyone knows
is that she had the reputation of really caring for the people she knew, no matter
how low their status was, and helping them when they were in need. But for her, it
had to be a personal relationship, not something abstract. So if a lowly servant
she knew would get ill and be unable to work, she would support his family.
Ngọc Linh : I’m Ngọc Linh, Marie-Antoinette was guillotined in 1793 after the
Revolutionary Tribunal found her guilty of crimes against the state. She was
condemned to death and was guillotined on October 16, 1793. Her last words, after
accidentally stepping on the foot of her executioner, were "Pardon, monsieur. I did
not do it on purpose" (Fraser, 440). The legacy of Marie Antoinette is that of a
tragic figure, a victim of her time and circumstances. I feel kind of sorry for
her. Imagine this: You were a young girl forced out of your country, with all the
spotlight on you to save this foreign country from debt. You don’t even speak the
language. Everyone hated you as well; they would call you an "Austrian spy" because
you were an immigrant. Everyone would make fun of you for looking different and
would say awful things about you in a language you didn’t understand. They forced
you to get rid of your culture, dress fancy when you didn’t even want to, then
blamed you for dressing up and labelled you disgusting and rotten. They forced you
to have children when you were too young to know how. Their country was in debt,
and they blamed you.
Nguyễn My: They refused to hear you plead innocent and violated your right to last
words. With your final sentence, you apologise for stepping on the executioner’s
foot. You were brave every second, but no one knew. They twisted your words,
accused you of raping your son, whom you loved so much, and then killed you. They
tortured one of your children to death, put one in a concentration camp, and only
one survived the reign of terror, and you didn’t get to watch them grow up.
Đinh My : It can be said that in her life and after her death, Maria Antonia was
often noticed by the public and is considered an important historical figure. The
life and trials of the last French Empress continued to fascinate academia and the
public even 200 years after her death. Many people have tried to document the
tragic story of Marie Antoinette, both in writing and in pictures. Sofia Coppola
wrote and directed "Marie Antoinette" in 2006, with Kirsten Dunst, star of the
"Spider-Man" series, as the female lead.
Nguyễn My : To conclude the group's presentation, we would like to invite you to
watch a short clip from the movie "Marie Antoinette" by Sofia Coppola and also the
film's director! (Video)
Ngọc Linh : That’s such a stunning clip, you must watch the full movie when you
have the chance. Any question?
ANSWERS ( everyone )
Thank you for listening!